Medical Dermatology

Dermatologic Surgery

Mohs Micrographic Surgery

Cosmetic Dermatology

New Zealand Dermatological Society

British Association of Dermatologists

Mohs Micrographic Surgery

 

Dr Moodley has over 10 years of experience in Mohs Surgery and facial reconstruction having completed his UK fellowship. This service is temporarily limited.

 

What is Mohs Surgery?

 

Mohs Micrographic Surgery is the most advanced and effective treatment for basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma, and a variety of other skin tumours (up to 99% cure rate for basal cell carcinoma).  Other skin cancer treatment methods blindly estimate the amount of tissue to treat, which can result in the unnecessary removal of healthy skin tissue and tumour regrowth if any cancer is missed.

 

Mohs Surgery is unique and so effective because of the way the removed tissue is microscopically examined, evaluating 100% surgical margins. The pathologic interpretation of the tissue margins is done on-site by the Mohs Surgeon who is specially trained in the reading of these slides, and is best able to correlate any microscopic findings with the surgical site on the patient.

 

The Mohs Surgery Procedure

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The advantages of Mohs Surgery include:

 

        •      Ensuring complete cancer removed during surgery

        •      Minimising the amount of healthy tissue lost

        •      Maximising the functional and cosmetic outcome from surgery

        •      Repairing the site of the cancer the same day the cancer is removed, in most cases

        •      Curing skin cancer when other methods have failed

 

When might Mohs Surgery be appropriate for me?

 

There are several reasons why your particular skin cancer may need to have Mohs Surgery:

 

        •      The skin cancer is in an area where it is important to preserve healthy tissue for an optimal functional and

                cosmetic result, eg. on the face

        •      The skin cancer was treated previously and has come back

        •      Scar tissue exists in the area of the skin cancer

        •      The skin cancer is large

        •      The edges of the skin cancer cannot be clearly defined

        •      The skin cancer is growing rapidly or uncontrollably

        •      The skin cancer is of an aggressive subtype (sclerosing or infiltrating basal cell carcinoma)

 

Reconstruction and post-operative care

 

Mohs surgeons have been trained extensively in reconstruction and repair of surgical wounds.

 

Once the tumour is successfully removed, Dr Moodley will assess the defect and the reconstructive options will be discussed with you.

 

        •      Small, simple wounds may be allowed to heal by themselves (a process known as secondary-intention

                healing)

        •      Slightly larger wounds may be closed with stitches in a side-to-side fashion

        •      Larger or more complicated wounds may require a skin graft from another area of the body, or a flap which

                closes the defect with skin adjacent to the wound

        •      On rare occasions, you may be referred to another reconstructive surgical specialist

 

For more information on Mohs Surgery go to http://www.skincancermohssurgery.org