Loving My Pain Free Life
About Me
Loving My Pain Free Life

My name is Melinda Johnson and I suffered with foot pain for many years. I went to see a podiatrist and after an examination, I was told that I had heel spur syndrome. I followed the recommendations of my doctor by doing at home treatments along with physical therapy. I was amazed at how much these treatments helped my foot pain. Living with pain can have a big impact on your life and that's why I started this blog. My foot pain kept me from doing many things that I enjoy and I want to help others who are going through the same situation. As you browse through my blog, you'll learn about home treatments, medical procedures and new advancements in medicine that can help reduce pain. It is my hope that by writing this blog, you can live pain free too.

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Loving My Pain Free Life

What To Know About Having Mohs Surgery For Your Skin Cancer

Claire Roberts

When you have skin cancer removed, the doctor typically removes the cancer and a portion of healthy tissue surrounding it to ensure no stray cancer cells remain. Because you may loose a lot of tissue, there may be a scar or scoop mark left behind after you heal. If the skin cancer is on your face, you probably want to minimize the scar as much as possible. In that case, your doctor may decide you're a good candidate for Mohs surgery. Here are a few things to know about this procedure.

Why It's Done

Mohs surgery is done for a few different reasons. If you've had the cancer removed before and it's come back, your doctor may want to do the Mohs procedure this time to make sure all the cancer cells are gone after the procedure. Mohs is also helpful if the borders of the cancerous growth are difficult to detect. Using Mohs, your doctor has a better chance of getting all the cancer cells when there is a question about where the cells end. And finally, Mohs is often the best type of surgery for skin cancer on the face because it removes as little healthy tissue as possible, so there is less risk of scars.

How It's Done

Mohs surgery is usually done in your dermatologist's office under local anesthesia. The doctor marks the margins of the cancer growth, and then removes it with a scalpel along with a very thin layer of healthy tissue. The specimen is examined by a lab while you wait. If there are stray cancer cells detected in the healthy tissue, your dermatologist shaves off another thin layer from your skin and sends that sample to the lab for further testing. This procedure is repeated as often as necessary until the tissue sample contains no cancer cells at all. In this way, your doctor can control the amount of tissue removed during the procedure so no more is taken than needed to ensure all the cancerous cells are removed.

If the cancerous growth is large, you may still need a large amount of tissue removed. For that reason, there are various ways to close the wound. A procedure that requires a small incision and small amount of cancer removal may not even need any stitches. However, it's possible you'll need a few stitches to close the wound. You might also need a skin graft to fully cover the wound and promote healing in a way that leaves minimal scars.

You'll know the results of your surgery as soon as it's completed since the lab testing happens in real time. You'll be able to leave your dermatologist's office with peace of mind, knowing all the cancer was removed. However, keep in mind, skin cancer can always return, so you should continue to have regular examinations and protect your skin from sun exposure. For more information, contact local professionals like Dermatology Surgery Center.


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