Mohs Micrographic Surgery

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Mohs Micrographic surgery is an advanced surgical technique used for the removal of skin cancers. Mohs surgery is named after Dr. Fredrick Mohs, the person who developed the technique in 1938. The procedure seeks to spare as much healthy tissue as possible while assuring the patient a very high cure rate. The physician functions as both the surgeon and the pathologist during the entirety of the procedure. During the surgery, thin layers of cancer-containing skin are progressively removed and examined until only cancer-free tissue remains. By performing both functions, the surgeon can evaluate whether they removed the whole tumor while the patient waits for the results in the office. The surgeon continues to remove layers until all the margins are clear of any cancer. More detail can be seen in the video below that explains the procedure in detail.

Mohs surgery is a highly specialized technique that requires an additional year or more of fellowship training after completing a dermatology residency. During the fellowship, the physician will perform at least 500 cases to help them perfect their technique. Here at Dermatology Associates of Tallahassee, all of our Mohs surgeons are fellowship-trained in Mohs Micrographic Surgery. In fact, Dr. Armand Cognetta is the Director of the Micrographic Surgery and Dermatologic Oncology Fellowship in conjunction with the FSU College of Medicine. This program has allowed us the ability to train the next generation of Mohs surgeons in the latest surgical, diagnostic, and repair techniques. This training affords our patients a world-class experience when it comes to the diagnosis and treatment of skin cancers.