MOHS Micrographic Surgery

Mohs surgery is considered the most effective technique for treating many basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) and squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs), the two most common types of skin cancer. Sometimes called Mohs micrographic surgery, the procedure is done in stages, including lab work, while the patient waits. This allows the removal of all cancerous cells for the highest cure rate while sparing healthy tissue and leaving the smallest possible scar.

Dr. Bradley Straka and Dr, Burt Steffes are both Board Certified Mohs Surgeons at our Brookfield Wisconsin location.

  At Highlander Dermatology, Dr. Kleven and Straka use a more precise method to assure the cancer is completely removed.  This technique is often called “staged removal”, also referred to as ”slow MOHS” which uses rapid fixed and processed non-frozen tissue.    Standard MOHS may be less precise as the freezing of the tissue may interfere with interpretation.

This technique is reserved for certain melanoma types and locations.  Staged removal avoids the problems of freezing and allows special immuno-stains to be used to assure margins of the excision are clear of cancer.  This staged procedure is technically referred to as Peripheral Controlled Margin Assessment with Permanent Sections, utilizing separate Board Certified Dermatopathologists to read the pathology.