Moh's surgery is most commonly used for
basal cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer.
The surgery is named after Dr Moh who instituted this type of approach.
The difference between this surgery and conventional surgery is two fold.
Firstly, the skin is removed not in the vertical plane but in the horizontal plane rather like shaving a circular piece of potato skin of the top of a basal cell carcinoma (BCC).
Secondly, this shaving is then divided into sections and put under the microscope (pathology) straight away as opposed to being put under the microscope 3 or 4 days later as is the situation with conventional surgery.
It is quite common for the patient to have a second or even third procedure performed all in the same hospital attendance. In this manner, the BCC is removed in slices until the pathology testing says that it is all clear.
For some patients this has advantages and is something to be considered under certain circumstances.
by Dr John Ashworth