Mohs Surgery
St.Petersburg

Mohs Surgery, also known as Mohs Micrographic Surgery, is a specific surgical procedure that helps in the treatment of skin cancer. The procedure involves progressively removing layers of cancer-affected skin and examining it. The process is continued until your skin is entirely cancer free.

The objective of the procedure is to eliminate as much of the cancer-affected skin as possible, while causing minimal damage to the surrounding tissue. The procedure is carried out on an outpatient basis.

Mohs Surgery is superior to other standard procedures such as local excision. Local excision is considered less ideal as it not only removes cancer-affected portions of the skin, but also much of the surrounding healthy skin. This is why we chose Mohs surgery for the treatment of skin cancer patients.

Another advantage with Mohs Surgery is that it allows your doctor/surgeon to verify and ensure that the cancer cells have truly been removed. If all cancer cells have been removed, the chances of an absolute recovery increase. This, in turn, minimizes your need for further treatment in the future.

Coping with skin cancer can be challenging and may seem very daunting to those affected by it. At Dermaclinique, we understand the concern that accompanies the diagnosis of skin cancer, and we also understand the importance of finding a medical professional who is experienced and has proven results in the treatment of skin cancer.

Dr. Nayyar completed a vigorous fellowship in Mohs surgery and has performed thousands of successful skin cancer surgeries. She has published several articles and book chapters on advanced surgical techniques, including grafts.  With her extensive training and experience, she is arguably the best Doctor for Mohs surgery St. Petersburg has to offer.

Mohs Surgery is carried out on an outpatient basis inside an operation room. However, these rooms are typically located next to a laboratory to examine the removed tissue immediately.

As stated earlier, the procedure typically lasts about 4 hours. But it can take longer because there is no way to determine the extent of the skin cancer by merely looking at it. It has to undergo an examination in the lab.

You may not be required to wear a surgical gown but if the tumor is in a location that cannot be accessed easily, you will be asked to switch into a surgical dress. Once that’s done, the nurse or Dr. Nayyar will clean and outline the area being treated with a pen. Then, she will inject a local anesthetic. The anesthesia will numb the skin and prevent you from experiencing pain during the process.

Once that’s done, Dr. Nayyar will use the scalpel to remove the visible portion of cancer. She will also remove a layer of tissue underneath the tumor. This layer of tissue is usually more extensive than the tumor itself.

The incision is then covered with a temporary bandage, and the removed tumor and tissue are sent to the laboratory for analysis. This is the most time-consuming phase of the procedure. You may have to wait for about an hour or so. Try to make use of this time by reading the book or magazine your brought along or by even getting yourself a meal. However, you cannot leave the surgeon’s office until the end of the procedure.

Dr. Nayyar will cut the sample into various sections and have her technician examine it under a microscope. She will track every spot from where the tissue was removed. This allows her to determine the exact spot from where the surgery needs to be continued if more cancer is detected.

This way, Dr. Nayyar will keep removing more tissue until she can confidently determine that there are no more cancerous cells left.