Mohs Surgery
Mohs surgery is a state of the art treatment for skin cancer in which the physician serves as both pathologist and reconstructive surgeon. The success of this procedure relies on the accuracy of evaluating the skin cancer with a microscope and the precision of its removal by the surgeon.
Mohs surgery has proven to be a highly successful form of treatment for several types of skin cancers. Other treatments include conventional excision, curettage and electrodessication (scraping and burning), cryotherapy (freezing), and radiation therapy (x-ray treatments).
Mohs surgery is indicated for skin cancers that arise in critical locations on the face, grow rapidly or have failed prior treatment. The technique provides the highest possible cure rate while minimizing the cosmetic impact.
Each stage of the procedure consists of excising the tissue containing cancer, processing the excised tissue in the lab and examining the tissue under the microscope. Most cancers are completely removed in 1 or 2 stages. The wound is usually repaired on the same day.
Post surgical appointments will be necessary for suture removal and to monitor wound healing. After Mohs surgery it is important to continue skin care and skin cancer monitoring on a regular basis.
Jon C Ter Poorten, MD
Dr Ter Poorten joined DGOC in 2000.
Dr Ter Poorten received his college degree from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas and his medical degree from the University of Texas at Houston. He completed an internship at Duke University Medical Center and a residency in dermatology at the University of South Carolina. He completed his Mohs surgical fellowship at Boston University School of Medicine. Dr Ter Poorten is a fellow of the American College of Mohs Micrographic Surgery and Cutaneous Oncology. He is also a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology and is board certified by the American Board of Dermatology.
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