Mohs surgery is a method used to microscopically clear the margins of common types of skin cancer.  This technique is credited to Dr. Frederic E. Mohs, a general surgeon who began to pioneer its use in the late 1930s.  Though most commonly used to treat basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, it can also be used to treat other less common forms of skin cancer.   

During Mohs surgery, the affected tissue is surgically removed under local anesthesia.  This tissue is processed in the office to allow for examination of the peripheral and deep margins under a microscope.  The specimens are also oriented in a way that guides the removal of any additional tissue should the margins still be involved with cancer cells.  Following this type of surgery, the cure rates for these common types of skin cancer approach 98-99%.  This technique also allows for the smallest possible wounds while still clearing all of the tumor cells.