Mohs Makes the Difference

Coastal Skin Surgery and Dermatology explains why Mohs surgery is a revolutionary skin cancer treatment

When faced with a skin cancer diagnosis, you want assurance and a guarantee that you will receive the best treatment and care. Coastal Skin Surgery and Dermatology provides fellowship-trained Mohs surgeons to effectively treat skin cancer.

Mohs surgery is the gold standard treatment for non-melanoma skin cancers such as basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Mohs surgery is not something every dermatologist or doctor can provide. It requires specialized training and a fellowship in Mohs surgery.

A Mohs surgeon is trained beyond that of a dermatologist. After undergraduate training and four years of medical school, a trainee will complete a medical internship, usually in a general area of medicine, followed by three years of dermatology residency. Following dermatology residency, candidates complete a one-to-two-year fellowship designed to teach Mohs surgery.

“A fellowship-trained Mohs surgeon has distinct advantages in training experience and is recognized by the American College of Mohs Surgery as an expert in skin cancer removal,” said Dr. Zac Carter of Coastal Skin Surgery and Dermatology. “After completing training, I took board examinations in both dermatology and Mohs micrographic surgery and am therefore double board certified.”

To put the significance of this designation into perspective, fewer than 8% of dermatologists in the United States are fellowship-trained in Mohs surgery.

Mohs surgery was named after Frederic Mohs, a surgeon who developed the technique. His technique allows doctors to check around the entire skin cancer area, providing a 360-degree view to 100% ensure skin cancer is removed during the surgery. This revolutionary surgery has a 99% cure rate.

With its high cure rate, Mohs surgery is the ideal treatment for the majority of skin cancers of the head and neck, along with other locations. While some patients may benefit from alternative treatment, Mohs surgery remains the procedure with the highest cure rate and best outcomes when performed by a fellowship-trained Mohs surgeon.

At Coastal Skin Surgery and Dermatology, the procedure is completed in a surgical room under local anesthesia and with a numbing agent. When the tumor is removed, the surrounding tissue is then processed in the in-office laboratory, where the surgeon reviews the slide to verify the tumor is entirely removed.

In most cases, there is very minimal preparation, if any, for the surgery. Recovery will vary depending on whether the area is repaired with sutures.

For the before, during and after, patients are well-informed of each step and are actively made to feel at ease by the two Mohs surgeons, six dermatologists, seven physician assistants and the entire staff at Coastal Skin Surgery and Dermatology.

“As a Mohs surgeon, I try to give each patient a customized approach and seek their input as we make decisions about the next step for each unique skin cancer,” said Dr. Carter. “We strive to have a welcoming, happy environment where you can feel comfortable that we are treating you individually as we would treat our own family members.”