Our Services / Mohs Surgery

Have you been diagnosed with skin cancer and need the cancer removed in a safe, effective way? At Aloe Dermatology in Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez, and Solvang, California, the skilled dermatology specialists offer Mohs surgery to get rid of skin cancer one tissue layer at a time. To schedule Mohs surgery or find out if it’s right for you, call the nearest Aloe Dermatology office or use the online booking tab today.

What is Mohs surgery?

Mohs surgery is a type of surgery that uses advanced, highly specialized techniques to eliminate cancerous skin tissues layer by layer. It’s considered the gold standard of skin cancer removal. It’s ideal for your face and other highly visible areas of the body because it removes the skin cancer with the smallest possible surgical margin.

Mohs surgery has high cure rates while preserving as much normal tissue as possible. The Aloe Dermatology specialists have many years of experience surgically removing skin cancer.

Is Mohs surgery right for me?

If you have skin cancer, Mohs surgery may be for you. Your provider examines your skin, reviews your symptoms and medical history, and may take a biopsy (skin sample) and send it to a lab to confirm a diagnosis and develop an appropriate treatment. Signs of skin cancer include:

• New or unusual skin lesions
• Moles with changes in color, shape, or size
• Waxy, pearly, or red lumps
• Lesions that crust or bleed
• Moles with irregular borders
• Skin lesions containing multiple colors

Mohs surgery is common and highly effective for removing skin cancer with minimal scarring.

What happens during Mohs surgery?

During Mohs surgery, your specialist uses local anesthesia to eliminate pain. You remain awake.  Your dermatologist removes cancerous tissues one layer at a time and examines it under a microscope until all of the cancer is gone. Bring something to read, listen to music, surf the internet on your phone or computer, or simply relax in the reception area while your tissue is being processed and examined under a microscope. . 

Your mohs surgeon will then usually repair the wound.  Occaisionally, in larger or more complicated surgical defects, you may be referred to a plastic surgeon for repair on the same day as your mohs surgery.  The procedure may take about three hours, but every patient has varying needs. The exact length of time each treatment takes depends on the size of the cancer. 

What should I expect after Mohs surgery?

After Mohs surgery, it’s important to keep the treatment area clean. Follow all post-care instructions to reduce the chance of infections and minimize scarring. You may need follow-up care to have any stitches removed. Scarring fades over time.

To learn more about Mohs surgery and find out if it’s right for you, call the Aloe Dermatology office or schedule an evaluation online today.