In the United States alone, over one million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed every year, and that number seems to be steadily on the rise. Moreover, it is estimated that 93% to 97% of all skin cancer occurs on a highly visible part of the body such as the head, face, ears, neck, hands, and arms. It’s not hard to understand why this is the case, considering the fact that these are the parts of the body which typically receive the most sun exposure.

The good new about skin cancer is that early detection (while the cancer is still in its localized stage) means a near 99% survival rate. The survival rate drops steadily in proportion to how far the cancer has spread at the time of detection, so regular screenings are important.

While certain types of skin cancer can be treated with cryotherapy (freezing), lasers, electrodessication and curettage (aka ED&C, which is alternate scraping and burning of the lesion), and even topically applied chemotherapy, others require surgical excision.

Often, the best way to accomplish skin cancer excision while preserving as much normal tissue as possible in highly visible areas is to undergo Mohs surgery. A Mohs surgeon is a dermatologist who has received at least one year of additional specialized training in the surgical removal of skin cancer lesions.

Once the Mohs surgery is completed, however, the job is often not done. Although your Mohs surgeon can sometimes simply close the wound left after excision, it is quite likely that the cosmetic result of a simple close will be less than satisfactory to you. Especially on the face, many patients will desire the help of a plastic surgeon to restore their appearance as close to normal as possible.