Patients in NYC have Mohs micrographic surgery for skin cancer by Dr Ron Shelton at the Laser and Skin Surgery Center of New York.
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Mohs micrographic surgery is the most precise way of removing certain facial non melanoma skin cancers on the face. Mohs is not an acronym standing for something as many people think, and it is not “mole” surgery as some people think they hear it pronounced. It was invented by Dr. Frederic Mohs, a surgeon, in 1936. Dr. Shelton was fellowship-trained to perform Mohs Micrographic Surgery at the well renowned medical institution at The University of San Francisco, California, in 1992. This procedure is considered the gold standard for the treatment of the two most common types of skin cancer – squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma. In certain situations, Mohs surgery may be used as a sole treatment or as a guide with frozen sections prior to performing a standard excision on ill-defined cases of melanoma-in-situ, the forerunner of melanoma. Mohs may also be used to treat some rare types of skin cancer.
In this precise surgical approach, the tumor is cut from the skin in stages, with much less normal skin taken around the tumor than in conventional surgery. As each layer is removed, it is examined under the microscope. If cancer cells are seen, another thin layer is removed, precisely in the region of positive margins, thereby making Mohs surgery the most tissue-sparing procedure. The process is continued until no more cancer cells are seen. As 100% of the surgical margin is analyzed in their on-site laboratory, the procedure provides the highest cure rate for many tumors. There is less than a one percent chance of a primary BCC or less than a 5% chance of recurrence.
If you have been told after a biopsy by your dermatologist or plastic surgeon that you should have Mohs surgery, schedule an evaluation with your New York specialist, Dr. Ron Shelton. Call 212-561-5808 and setup and appointment for a Mohs Micrographic Surgery in Midtown
Content updated: Nov 2021
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