Washington, DC
202-816-7557 (New Patients)
202-293-7618 (Existing Patients)
Alexandria, VA
571-449-2555 (New Patients)
571-302-5377 (Existing Patients)

Detailed
Outlined Procedure

Braun Dermatology & Skin Cancer Center wants you to know what to expect during your Mohs surgery. Please read through the detailed outline below to understand the steps of the procedure.

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If you have been diagnosed with skin cancer, call us at

202-816-7557 to Learn More About Your Treatment Options.

Steps to treating skin cancer with Mohs surgery

 Outline the visible tumor or biopsy scar.

  1. Infiltrate the site with local anesthetic.
  2. Debulk – remove the obvious tumor or scar tissue.
  3. Make a narrow incision circumferentially around the cancer. Make small marks in the skin to help maintain orientation.
  4. Remove the area of tissue in a thin layer.
  5. Divide the specimen, and code each portion with different color dyes.
  6. Process the specimen, place on slides, stain, and examine microscopically.
  7. Mark the areas positive for cancer.
  8. Bring the patient back to the operating room.
  9. Make an incision around the positive area. Remove this tissue and examine it microscopically.
  10. Repeat steps 7, 8, 9, and 10 until the section of tissue is negative for any residual cancer cells. At this point, removal of the cancer is considered complete. Attention now turns to repairing the wound.
  11. Evaluate the wound and choose the method of repair. Allow superficial wounds to heal on their own, but most wounds are sutured.
  12. Remove small triangles of skin from either end of the oval wound, and suture the wound edges together. The eversion or bumpiness of the wound is temporary.
  13. Observe after nine months. There may be a scar, but it will be subtle.

The team at Braun Dermatology & Skin Cancer Center is here to help you get through a diagnosis of skin cancer. Call 202-816-7557 in Washington, DC or 571-449-2555 in Alexandria, VA.
 
 
 

Braun Dermatology Team

Braun Dermatology & Skin Cancer Center

Dr. Marisa Braun is a board-certified dermatologist and fellowship-trained Mohs surgeon. She graduated from Princeton University, University of Maryland School of Medicine and completed her dermatology residency at George Washington University. She completed her Procedural Dermatology and Mohs Surgery Fellowship at the Medical University of South Carolina.

She is skilled in Mohs Surgery and skin procedures such as excisions, mole and cyst removals as well as cosmetic procedures that include neuromodulators, fillers, and laser procedures.

Dr. Braun is also a prestigious Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology, Fellow of the American College of Mohs Surgery, member of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery amongst many others. She is a volunteer faculty member at George Washington University Department of Dermatology.
Washington, DC
202-816-7557 (New Patients)
202-293-7618 (Existing Patients)
Alexandria, VA
571-449-2555 (New Patients)
571-302-5377 (Existing Patients)

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