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Page 1 of 2 Edmonton's Cosmetic Surgery Clinic
MOHS MICROGRAPHIC SURGERY
THE HIGHEST CURE RATES FOR COMMON SKIN CANCERS
What is Mohs Surgery?
In the early 1940's, Dr. Frederick Mohs developed a unique form of skin
cancer treatment. The addition of "Mohs" honors the doctor who
developed the technique. It is a highly specialized form of treatment
for the total removal of skin cancers. It is performed by a team of
medical personnel that includes physicians, nurses, and technicians.
At the Western Canada Dermatology Institute Surgical Unit, Dr. Mariusz
Sapijaszko heads the surgical team. Dr. Sapijaszko completed Mohs
Surgery training at the University of California in San Francisco and
is the first fellowship-trained Mohs Surgeon in Edmonton. The nurse is
an important part of the team who will help answer the questions,
respond to patient anxieties, assist in surgery, and instruct in
dressings and wound care after the surgery is performed. A technician
performs the essential task of preparing the tissue slides, which are
examined under a microscope by Dr. Sapijaszko during the procedure.
When is Mohs Surgery Used?
Mohs Surgery is a specialized technique and it is mostly used to treat
skin cancers of the head and neck region, skin cancers with poorly
defined edges, recurrent cancers as well as the cancers located on
sensitive areas where tissue preservation is important.
How is Mohs Surgery performed?
The surgery is performed as follows:
- The skin suspicious for cancer is treated with a local anesthetic so
there is no feeling of pain in the area. To remove most of the visible
skin cancer, the tumor is scraped using a sharp instrument called a
curette.
- A thin piece of tissue is then removed surgically around and under
the scraped skin and carefully divided into pieces that will fit on a
microscope slide; the edges are marked with colored dyes; a careful map
or diagram is made of the tissue removed; and the tissue is frozen by
the technician.
- Thin slides can then be made from the frozen tissue and examined by Dr. Sapijaszko under a microscope.
- Most bleeding is controlled using pressure or electrocautery,
although occasionally a small blood vessel is encountered which must be
tied using suture material.
- A pressure dressing is then applied and the patient is asked to wait while the slides are being processed.
- Dr. Sapijaszko examines the slides under the microscope and is able to tell if any tumor is still present.
- If cancer cells remain, Dr. Sapijaszko is able to exactly locate
them based on his map. Another layer of tissue is then removed from
the area identified and the procedure is repeated until Dr. Sapijaszko
is satisfied that the entire base and sides of the wound have no cancer
cells remaining.
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As well as achieving a high percentage of total removal of the
cancer, this process preserves as much normal, healthy, surrounding
skin as possible.
The removal of each layer of tissue takes approximately 30 to 60
minutes. Only 10-20 minutes of that is spent in the actual surgical
procedure, the remaining time being required for slide preparation and
interpretation. It usually takes removal of two or three layers of
tissue (called "stages"), to complete the surgery. Therefore, by
beginning early in the morning Mohs surgery is generally finished in
one day. Sometimes, however, a tumor may be extensive enough to
necessitate continuing surgery a second day.
What happens after the cancer is removed?
At the end of Mohs surgery, patients are left with a surgical wound.
This wound is dealt with in one of several ways. The several options
are discussed with the patient in order to provide the best possible
functional and cosmetic results without disguising the small
possibility of a recurrence.
The closing/healing possibilities explained below include:
- Healing by spontaneous granulation ("second intention"). Healing by
spontaneous granulation involves letting the wound heal by itself. This
offers a good chance to observe the wound as it heals after removal of
a difficult tumor. Experience has taught us that there are certain
areas of the body where nature will heal a wound as nicely as any
further surgical procedure. Healing time is 3 - 4 weeks. There are also
times when a wound will be left to heal knowing that if the resultant
scar is unacceptable, some form of cosmetic surgery can be performed at
a later date.
- Closing the wound, or part of the wound with stitches. Closing the
wound with stitches is often performed on a small lesion. This
involves some adjustment of the wound and sewing the skin edges
together. This procedure speeds healing and can offer a good cosmetic
result. For example, the scar can be hidden in a wrinkle line.
- Using a skin flap(s). Skin flap(s) involve movement of adjacent,
healthy tissue to cover a surgical site. Where practical, they are
chosen because of the excellent cosmetic match of nearby skin
- Using a skin graft. Skin grafts involve covering a surgical site
with skin or skin and cartilage from another area of the body. There
are three types of skin grafts. The first is called a split-thickness
graft. This is a thin shave of skin, usually taken from the thigh,
which is used to cover a surgical wound. This can either be permanent
coverage or temporary coverage before another cosmetic procedure is
done at a later date. The second graft-type is the full-thickness
graft. This graft provides a thicker layer of skin to achieve desired
results. In this instance, skin is usually removed from behind the ear
or around the collarbone (the donor site), and stitched to cover a
wound. The donor site is then sutured together to provide a good
cosmetic result. A third type of graft uses skin and cartilage. This
usually comes from the ear and is used to repair defects of the nose.
- Arranging a consultation with a surgeon who specializes in more
complicated surgical repairs. If your Mohs surgery is extensive or is
performed where a functional impairment results, we may recommend you
visit one of several consultant physicians. If you have been sent to us
by a physician skilled in skin closures (for example, a plastic
surgeon, ophthalmologist or a head and neck surgeon), he or she will
usually take care of you after your cancer has been removed.
In summary, by microscopically pinpointing areas involved with cancer
and selectively removing these tissues, the Mohs surgeon can most
successfully remove your skin cancer. Because normal tissue is
preserved to the greatest extent possible, the Mohs surgeon is able to
offer you an increased possibility of a good cosmetic result. Although
an attempt will be made to minimize the scar, you will be left with a
scar of some kind.
Youthful Image
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