It is important to understand that while the procedure is office-based, it is still surgery. The patient should prepare accordingly. The majority of Mohs surgeries are completed by mid to late afternoon. Most of our patients prefer not to work on the afternoon of surgery.
Mohs surgery is safely and comfortably performed in an office setting. There is no need for a hospital or an ambulatory surgery center. This leads to a more comfortable, efficient, and cost-effective surgical experience. The surgery is performed under local anesthetic. Our staff and doctors are experts at administering local anesthetic as comfortably as possible. We use a long-acting local anesthetic to keep the area numb throughout the day. If requested at the consultation, patients can be given a prescription for a mild sedative to use the day of surgery.
On the day of surgery, most of your time will be spent waiting for laboratory results and for the doctor to perform your repair. We have comfortable and pleasant waiting rooms. Patients are encouraged to bring plenty of snacks and entertainment to pass the time. In many cases, headphones may be used during the actual procedures. On average, patients are with us for about 4 to 6 hours. However, we do ask that you reserve the whole day to be at our office in case more time is required to fully and effectively treat your skin cancer. Our office is extremely efficient and patient-friendly, and we strive to optimize your comfort.
Immediately after surgery, a bulky pressure dressing Is usually placed on the surgery site. This can often be removed after 24 hours. At this point, there will likely be surgical tape placed over the incision line(s).
After the surgery, our staff will review surgery site care in detail with you. In addition, you will be given written instructions. We do ask that you prepare for someone to drive you home. This individual is welcome to wait with you in our office, or provide a mobile phone number for us to contact them when your procedure is finished.
