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Mohs Surgery

Santa Barbara Skin Institute Our Services Mohs Surgery

Santa Barbara Skin Institute

Dermatology & Mohs Surgery located in Santa Barbara, CA & Solvang, CA

Mohs surgery is the most precise and effective treatment of various types of skin cancer, including basal cell carcinoma. Roberta Sengelmann, MD is a fellowship-trained Mohs surgeon at Santa Barbara Skin Institute in Santa Barbara and Solvang, California. If you’re looking for skin cancer treatment with the Mohs technique, call or book an appointment online today.

Mohs Surgery Q & A

What is Mohs surgery?

Mohs micrographic surgery is named after the developer of this technique, Dr. Frederic Mohs at the University of Wisconsin. Originally developed in the 1930s, Mohs surgery has since been refined into an advanced procedure with the highest success rates for curing all types of skin cancer.

This microscopically controlled procedure is up to 99% effective at removing skin cancer, but only trained surgeons can perform it. Dr. Sengelmann is a fellowship-trained Mohs surgeon at Santa Barbara Skin Institute.

 

What conditions does Mohs surgery treat?

Mohs surgery is successful in treating and removing an increasing variety of skin cancer types. Dr. Sengelmann uses Mohs surgery to treat several types of skin cancer, including:

  • Basal cell carcinoma
  • Squamous cell carcinoma
  • Early stage melanoma

This procedure cures the most common type of skin cancer (basal cell carcinoma) and the most dangerous type (melanoma).

What happens during Mohs surgery?

Mohs micrographic surgery occurs in stages, all in one visit. During the procedure, Dr. Sengelmann removes a thin layer of tissue from your skin and examines it under a microscope.

If they detect any cancer cells, they know exactly where cancer remains due to their specialized training. Then, they remove another layer and microscopically examine it. This process continues until no cancer cells remain.

The Mohs technique ensures the removal of all cancer cells while preserving as much healthy tissue as possible.

What are the benefits of Mohs surgery?

In addition to high rates of success, Mohs surgery offers several unique advantages. Benefits of Mohs surgery include:

  • Minimizing damage to healthy tissue
  • Ensuring total cancer removal
  • Eliminating the chance of cancer returning

Mohs micrographic surgery effectively cures skin cancer where other treatments have failed. This advanced technique also maximizes the functional and cosmetic outcome after surgery by reducing the amount of healthy tissue removed.

Due to the high success rates, most patients only need a single surgery to remove their skin cancer. Dr. Sengelmann can perform reconstructive surgery to repair the wound at the same time.

To find out if Mohs surgery is right for you, call Santa Barbara Skin Institute or book an appointment online today.

 

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