The Advantages of Using Mohs Surgery
Dr. Shams performs various surgeries to help patients overcome different problems with their eyelids. These can range from surgery to correct entropion, an eye condition where the eyelid turns inward, to treating skin cancer on the eyelid. If there is the suspicion of skin cancer affecting an eyelid or facial skin near to the eye, Dr Shams will perform an incisional biopsy, sampling of the lesion, to determine its exact nature. If confirmed as a skin cancer, Dr. Shams recommends Mohs surgery to have the cancer removed, followed by eyelid reconstruction..
What is Mohs surgery?
First developed in 1938 by surgeon Frederic Mohs, Mohs surgery is microscopically controlled surgery used to remove common forms of skin cancer. Since its introduction, Mohs micrographic surgery has been refined into the most advanced, precise, and effective treatment for removing skin cancers. This is important on the eyelids where leaving the largest amount of healthy surrounding tissue is very important to maintaining proper eyelid function.
During Mohs surgery, a dermatologist specifically trained to perform Mohs surgery removes the cancerous tumour from the eyelid. Then the patient waits while the tissue is examined for cancer cells. The margins, or outside, of the cancerous tissue are examined. If cancer cells are still found, additional tissue is removed until healthy, cancer-free tissue around the tumor is reached. This is called “clear margins.” Mohs surgery allows the least amount of tissue to be removed beyond the cancerous tissue, leaving a smaller defect for reconstruction.
Advantages of Mohs surgery
In areas where precision isn’t as important, say on a man’s back, the amount of tissue to be removed is blindly estimated. This approach has two drawbacks: it can lead to the removal of unnecessary healthy tissue (creating a bigger scar) and to tumor re-growth if any cancerous cells are missed. Dr Shams works very closely with Mohs surgeons to organise removal of the tumour followed by eyelid reconstruction, which will be carried out by Dr Shams. She uses trusted techniques that ensure the function of the eyelid is restored to normality while also respecting the patients cosmetic concerns regarding the eyelid reconstruction.
By microscopically testing layer upon layer of the tissue removed with Mohs surgery, the guesswork is eliminated with only the necessary tissue being removed. That’s why Mohs surgery has the highest success rate of all treatments for skin cancer — up to 99%. And that’s why Dr. Shams recommends Mohs methods.
On the eyelid, the advantages to Mohs surgery are obvious. Because Mohs surgery minimizes the amount of healthy tissue removed, it reduces the impact on the surrounding skin, improving the aesthetic outcome. Plus, patients can be confident that the entire tumor has been removed. It virtually assures the patient that the skin cancer won’t grow back on the eyelid.
If you have a skin cancer growth on your eyelid, make sure it is removed using Mohs surgery to minimize the loss of surrounding healthy tissue. Call Dr. Shams on 07488 909 008 to set up a consultation.
Posted in: Eyelid Cancer Surgery
