Dr. Gerald Peters of Peters Dermatology Center, serving Bend, OR, provides Mohs surgery. Mohs surgery is an accurate method to correct skin cancer with the goal of taking as little skin tissue as possible. It's actually the most common surgery used for the removal of skin cancer lesions for this reason. To help you better understand the procedure, we'd like to reveal the answers to some frequently asked questions.
What Exactly Is Mohs Surgery?
What happens during a Mohs surgery is our practitioner will remove layers of the skin lesion and will examine them under a microscope for any cancer cells. Once no cells remain, our doctor will stop removing layers, allowing us to remove as little of the healthy tissue as possible since it's a highly controlled procedure.
How Long Does Mohs Surgery Take?
Mohs surgery can take a few hours to complete. We generally recommend our patients dedicate a good chunk of the day to getting the surgery since it takes a great deal of precision and time to ensure the highest level of results, meaning we take our time to remove only the skin necessary and ensure we remove as much of the cancer as possible.
Do I Need to Stay at a Hospital After the Procedure?
You don't need to go to a hospital for the procedure. And since we don't need to use a general anesthetic, you don't have a prolonged period you need to wait at our office once the surgery is complete. In fact, we perform Mohs surgery on an outpatient basis.
Will There Be Any Scarring After the Surgery?
Yes, you will have scarring at the surgical site, but the goal of the surgery is to remove as little skin as possible so the scarring is minimal.
At Peters Dermatology Center, serving Bend, OR, and the general vicinity, Dr. Peters offers Mohs surgery for patients who have skin cancer. It's a feasible solution for many and ultimately is the least invasive and highly successful way to correct skin cancer.
If you have a peculiar mole or other skin lesion, contact us today at (541) 323-7546.