Mohs Surgery

Mohs Surgery is named after Dr. Frederic Mohs, a surgeon who developed the technique in the late 1930s. It is a highly effective type of surgery that can remove skin cancers by excising thin strips of tissue one at a time. After each specimen is removed, it is examined by the Mohs surgeon under a microscope to determine whether cancer remains in the skin, and to precisely map any remaining cancer. If any cancer is left behind, the Mohs surgeon knows exactly where the additional tissue needs to be removed. Because of the precise microscopic mapping technique, only the diseased tissue is removed, thus sparing as much of the normal skin as possible. Mohs surgery offers cure rates of up to 99% for newly diagnosed basal cell carcinomas and up to 98% for newly diagnosed squamous cell carcinomas. Mohs surgery is highly effective when treating skin cancers that have come back (recurred) after previous treatments. Because all of the edges and undersurface of the removed skin are checked microscopically, Mohs surgery can detect and remove "roots" and "fingers" of tumor growth that are not visible to the naked eye, and may not be successfully treated with other therapies. These "roots" are very common in skin cancers occurring on the face, where the tumor that is visible may be merely the "tip of the iceberg." Mohs surgery is particularly useful in areas where it is important to preserve healthy skin to ensure optimal function and cosmetic appearance after surgery, such as the eyelids, nose, ears, lips, and other areas on the head and neck, where skin cancers are more likely to come back if treated by other methods. Mohs surgery is performed in the doctor's office, and the cancer is usually removed and the wound repaired in a single day without sedation or general anesthesia.

Andrew L. Kaplan, M.D. is a native of Long Island, New York, where he was high school valedictorian and a National Merit Scholar. He completed his undergraduate education at Duke University, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. He received his medical degree from the Duke University School of Medicine, where he was the recipient of numerous scholarships and awards for academic excellence and research. Dr. Kaplan was honored with induction into the Alpha Omega Alpha National Medical Honor Society. Following medical school, Dr. Kaplan completed an internship at Duke University Medical Center and a residency in dermatology at Duke University, consistently ranked among the nation's top medical centers. At Duke, he was the Chief Resident in Dermatology and also served on the faculty of the Dermatology Division. Dr. Kaplan obtained specialized fellowship training in Mohs Surgery and Procedural Dermatology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, which ranks among the world's top academic medical centers. This intensive training program at one of the nation's leading Dermatology departments was certified by both the American College of Mohs Micrographic Surgery and Cutaneous Oncology and the American College of Graduate Medical Education. Dr. Kaplan is board certified in Dermatology