MOHS Surgery in Orange County
One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetimes – and many of them will be treated with a specialized procedure called Mohs surgery. The Mohs micrographic surgical technique is widely accepted as the most precise and effective way to treat skin cancer on the face. Mohs is commonly used in critical areas of the face such as the nose, eyes, or lips in order to remove the entire cancer while preserving as much healthy tissue as possible.
Losing precious facial tissue can be very frightening for patients diagnosed with skin cancer, especially when it affects the nose, lips or tissue around the eyes. Dr. Jacob Boeckmann has tremendous expertise with these procedures as an educator and author in this field.
Because each patient’s facial anatomy and wound are completely unique, your Mohs reconstruction procedure will be entirely customized. Dr. Jacob Boeckmann will begin by carefully analyzing your facial features, skin quality and the defect, before composing a personalized treatment plan that will give you back your beautiful and healthy face.
Dr. Boeckmann seeks to understand each patient’s specific and unique desires, and then match the best possible reconstructive strategy for the affected facial structure.
What is a MOHS Surgery?
Mohs surgery is a unique procedure for skin tumor removal developed more than 50 years ago by Frederic Mohs, MD, a general surgeon at the University of Wisconsin. The Mohs technique has been refined and advanced since then, and now offers the highest cure rate for certain types of cancers while reducing the amount of tissue removed in the process. The procedure is most commonly performed by a dermatopathologist, a medical doctor who specializes in dermatology and pathology. During surgery, the physician will remove the cancerous layers of skin and tissue. He or she will then carefully analyze each excised layer using microscopic examination until your skin is entirely cancer-free. This allows the physician to remove all of the cancer, while preserving as much healthy tissue as possible.
What Can I Expect Undergoing an MOHS Reconstruction?
At the beginning of your procedure, Dr. Boeckmann will administer local anesthesia to ensure your comfort and safety. Once the local anesthesia is administered, a skin graft or skin flap will be used to repair the defect, depending on which option Dr. Boeckmann feels is likely to produce the optimal result. If a skin flap is used, Dr. Boeckmann will use skin near the area of the defect to repair the wound. If using a skin graft, he will remove skin from the base of the neck or around the ear and transplant it to cover the defect. Both are excellent options, and during your initial consultation Dr. Boeckmann offers guidance on which one is in your best interest. During that time, the two of you will discuss your entire procedure in detail, so you know exactly what to expect before, during and after your reconstruction. The repair typically takes 1-2 hours, depending upon the location and size of the area needing reconstruction.
Dr. Boeckmann is a double board certified facial plastic surgeon who is meticulous in his technique and is never in a hurry. In this way he ensures his patients receive the most optimal result.
Orange County MOHS Reconstruction
If you are preparing to undergo Mohs surgery for skin cancer in Orange County, we encourage you to first schedule a consultation with Dr. Jacob Boeckmann. During your consultation, he will carefully evaluate the cancerous area being removed, which allows him to collect the information he will need to restore your normal facial appearance.
