Mohs Micrographic & Reconstructive Surgery Near Chattanooga, TN
Dr. Jonathan Miller is among the few fellowship-trained Mohs micrographic and reconstructive surgeons in the region. In addition to skin cancer removal, his expertise includes advanced facial reconstructive techniques that minimize scarring and maximize cosmetic outcomes. If you have been diagnosed with skin cancer and are seeking treatment, contact Uderm to discuss the benefit of Mohs Micrographic Surgery at our dermatology office near Chattanooga, TN. To schedule your consultation, please call (423) 206-2777 or request an appointment through our secure online form.
Please view this 4-min tutorial by the American College of Mohs Surgery to learn more about the procedure:
Get a better understanding of Mohs Surgery and the steps to a quick recovery after the procedure. Watch this 9-minute video by the American College of Mohs Surgery for more information.
What is Mohs Surgery?
Mohs micrographic surgery is a specialized surgical procedure that boasts the highest cure rate of any skin cancer treatment. It enables the surgeon to remove the tumor and examine the margins underneath a microscope in real-time. Once the cancer is definitively removed, the surgical defect is reconstructed at the same visit, providing the patient with a convenient, optimal outcome.
In addition to performing Mohs surgery on basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, our facility is equipped with a state-of-the-art process called immunostaining. This enables us to perform Mohs surgery on melanoma (MART-1 stain), ensuring the highest possible cure rate and the least amount of scarring.
What to Expect During Mohs Surgery
The Mohs procedure involves surgically removing skin cancer layer by layer and examining the tissue under a microscope until healthy, cancer-free tissue around the tumor is reached (called clear margins). Immediate and complete microscopic examination and evaluation of excised tissue during one office visit is what differentiates Mohs surgery from other skin cancer removal procedures. The procedure is done in an outpatient setting under local anesthesia and therefore eliminates the risks and costs associated with general anesthesia. For more details on the step-by-step process you can visit the American College of Mohs Surgery website.
Skin cancers we treat with Mohs surgery:
- Basal cell carcinoma
- Squamous cell carcinoma
- Melanoma
- Atypical fibroxanthoma
- Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans
- Sebaceous carcinoma
- Microcystic adnexal carcinoma
What are the Advantages of Mohs Surgery?
Mohs surgery provides several advantages for people with skin cancer:
- Ensuring complete cancer removal during surgery and providing the highest success rates compared to other treatments
- Preserving the surrounding healthy tissue
- Maximizing the functional and cosmetic outcome resulting from surgery
- Skin cancer removal, confirmation of negative margins and repairing the site of the cancer removal in the same day/office appointment, in most cases
- Minimizes the risk of recurrence and therefore reduces and frequently eliminates the costs of larger, more serious surgeries for recurrent skin cancers
Before and After Moh’s Surgery
Schedule a Consultation for Mohs Surgery in Chattanooga, TN
If you have been diagnosed with skin cancer and are exploring your surgical treatment options, contact board-certified Mohs surgeon Dr. Jonathan Miller to discuss your candidacy. Dr. Miller is among the few fellowship-trained Mohs micrographic and reconstructive surgeons in the region and will take the time to fully discuss your symptoms and determine the skin cancer treatment best for you. To schedule your consultation at our dermatology office near Chattanooga, TN, please call (423) 206-2777 or request an appointment through our secure online form.
Frequently Asked Questions about Mohs Surgery
We typically recommend avoiding activities for two weeks that will raise your heart rate or blood pressure. Such activities include exercising, manual labor, lifting heavy objects, and swimming. It is especially important to avoid these activities in the first week to reduce the risk of bleeding, swelling, and impaired wound healing.
Mohs surgery is an outpatient, awake procedure that most people tolerate very well. However, some skin cancers are larger or in locations that can be more serious and stressful to patients. For patients who are anxious about their procedure, we offer medications that can help relax them during the procedure.
It depends on the extent of surgery and type of reconstruction performed. However, many patients are able to return to work the next day. Patients who are needing to return to work quickly are advised that discomfort and swelling can persist for several days following surgery.
24 hours (unless otherwise directed in your post-operative instructions).
The length of a Mohs surgery depends on the location, size and type of tumor being removed. The majority of Mohs procedures last 2-3 hours. Some cases can be as quick as 1 hour. Rarely, cases can last as long as 8 hours. Lab processing is the bulk of the procedure time. During this time, patients wait comfortably in their room while the lab technician prepares the tissue to be read under the microscope by the Mohs surgeon.
The vast majority of patients are able to drive themselves home after surgery. Exceptions are when a patient receives “relaxing” medicine for the surgery or has a surgery near the eye which requires the eye to be covered after surgery.
Early basal cell carcinoma typically looks like a pink or shiny lesion that is either flat or raised. Sometimes it bleeds or itches, but typically is not painful.
Early squamous cell carcinoma typically presents as a red, raised, scaly area of skin. It can occasionally be painful.
Yes. With a fellowship-trained Mohs surgeon, the patient is able to conveniently undergo Mohs surgery and reconstruction at the same visit.
fMost skin cancers, including melanoma, can be treated with Mohs surgery. However, Mohs surgery is not always indicated for low-risk skin cancers on the trunk or extremities. For these tumors, other options (ie, electrodessication and curettage, excision, or topical therapy) may be a better option. When skin cancers have spread to other organs (ie, metastasize), Mohs surgery is no longer a good treatment option because immunotherapy and other systemic agents are better-suited for widespread cancer.