Removing Skin Cancer Without a Trace

Basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas are the most common types of skin cancer. They affect over one million Americans each year.

Although melanoma is the most life-threatening form of skin cancer, basal and squamous cell cancers are serious. If they aren’t treated early and apporopriately, they can cause serious problems.

Specialized Surgery

Both basal cell and squamous cell skin cancer can be treated with Mohs micrographic surgery, a highly specialized procedure that’s done without a hospital stay. The procedure has a high cure rate, as high as 97-99 percent for certain primary skin cancers.

An Experienced Team

At UVA, our doctors perform more than 1,000 Mohs surgeries each year. Mohs surgeons are trained to remove the skin cancer tumor and repair any damage done by the surgery. In more complex cases, patients are also treated by a team of plastic and reconstructive surgeons.

Having on-site specialists who are experienced at repairing functional and cosmetic defects – as well as surgical facilities for complex cases – gives patients at UVA an advantage.

“We can often excise the cancer and manage the resultant defect in a single day,” says Mark A Russell, MD. “It’s extremely convenient, and a huge relief to a patient.”

Making sure care is coordinated between Mohs surgeons and experienced reconstructive specialists offers better results for patients, according to Thomas J. Gampper, MD, vice chair of the Department of Plastic Surgery.

“Achieving the best results comes down to imagination – and that’s where experience really matters,” says Gampper, who performs about 50 Mohs reconstructions each year.