What is Mohs Surgery?

What is Mohs Surgery?

Mohs surgery is a gold standard treatment for skin cancer. It boasts a very high rate of success for the most common types of skin cancer and low recurrence rates. Dr. Patricia McCormack offers Mohs surgery in Staten Island, Linden, and Point Pleasant Beach, NY. Learn more about this state-of-the-art treatment for skin cancer.

What is Mohs Surgery?

Mohs surgery (aka Mohs micrographic surgery) is named after the doctor who invented this technique in the 1930s, Frederick Mohs.

Mohs surgery is a skin cancer treatment that involves removing small layers of skin one at a time. Visible cancer on the top layer of skin is removed, and then microscopically examined by your surgeon to determine if there are any 'roots' of the tumor in underlying layers of skin that are not visible. If this is the case, the process repeats and another layer of skin is removed and examined. The process of removing layers of skin is repeated until no more cancer is detectable.

Why should I choose Mohs surgery?

There are many benefits to choosing Mohs surgery in Staten Island, NY, such as:

  • Highest cure rate: Mohs surgery has a cure rate of up to 99%, the highest of any skin cancer surgery. This has been shown in studies comparing Mohs surgery to other forms of skin cancer treatment, which generally only have 90-95% rates of success.
  • Low recurrence rate: This is a precise technique that ensures the elimination of the tumor, and there is generally a lower chance of recurrence than in other forms of skin cancer treatment.
  • Preservation of surrounding skin and tissue: A great thing about this type of surgery is that the surrounding skin and tissue will suffer very little to no damage. Because of the precision of the technique, very small amounts of skin are removed at a time, minimizing scarring.
  • Performed under local anesthesia: The patient is not put to sleep under general anesthesia. It is done on an outpatient basis and you go home the same day.
  • Speedy recovery: Healing from Mohs takes less time than many other skin cancer treatments as a result of the minimal skin that is removed and as much healthy tissue as possible is preserved.
  • Time effective: The average time this procedure takes is around 4 hours. It may take longer, so your best bet is to clear your calendar the entire day in preparation for this surgery. 

Contact us

Schedule a consultation with Dr. McCormack to discuss Mohs surgery in Staten Island, NY. We have three convenient locations for you to choose from. You can reach us at our Staten Island office at (718) 698-1616, our Linden location at (908) 925-8877, or our Point Pleasant Beach office at (732) 295-1331.


This website includes materials that are protected by copyright, or other proprietary rights. Transmission or reproduction of protected items beyond that allowed by fair use, as defined in the copyright laws, requires the written permission of the copyright owners.

Our Locations

Office Hours

Monday:

8:00 am-8:00 pm

Tuesday:

8:00 am-5:00 pm

Wednesday:

8:00 am-8:00 pm

Thursday:

8:00 am-5:00 pm

Friday:

8:00 am-4:00 pm

Saturday:

9:00 am-2:00 pm

Sunday:

Closed