Arizona Mohs SurgeryAnir Dhir MD, FACMS

Comprehensive Skin Cancer Care

Quality, Experience, and Compassion

 

Mohs micrographic surgery specialist Mohs micrographic surgery specialist

Who We Are

Arizona Mohs Surgery, PLLC, is a dermatology practice dedicated to the comprehensive evaluation and treatment of skin cancer.

Dr. Anir Dhir specializes in Mohs micrographic surgery and the most advanced and elegant reconstructive techniques. He treats biopsy-proven skin cancers and also performs skin cancer screenings, biopsies, and non-surgical treatments.  The Arizona Mohs Surgery team is committed to providing the highest quality care in a modern, compassionate, and comfortable environment. Our experienced staff looks forward to taking great care of you.

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What Is Mohs Surgery?

The most advanced treatment for skin cancer

What types of skin cancers are treated with Mohs surgery?

Mohs surgery is generally reserved for skin cancers occurring in more cosmetically and functionally critical areas such as the face, ears, scalp, neck, hands, feet, and shins. Larger and more aggressive cancers in non-facial locations, as well as “recurrent’ tumors (those that have failed other therapies) are also appropriate candidates for Mohs surgery. Mohs surgery is also the best approach for skin cancers that are poorly defined, arise in a scar, grow rapidly, or occur in a patient with a compromised immune system. Mohs surgery is generally not needed for thin, small cancers in non-critical locations because these can be successfully managed with simpler techniques.  Dr. Dhir is happy to assist patients with cancers qualifying for Mohs surgery, simpler excision, or non-surgical therapies.

What is the difference between Mohs surgery and other frozen sections?

In Mohs surgery, one physician functions as both surgeon and pathologist. If a physician removes a skin cancer and sends the specimen to another lab or pathologist for analysis, he or she is not performing Mohs surgery for two reasons:

  1. a single physician is not correlating the clinical and microscopic pictures for maximum accuracy, and
  2. only a small portion of the margins is examined instead of 100% of the true 3-D circumferential margin as with Mohs surgery.
Am I in good hands?

Absolutely.  Unlike many physicians performing Mohs surgery in Tucson, Dr. Dhir completed a dedicated and prestigious American College of Mohs Surgery (ACMS) accredited fellowship prior to entering private practice.  He was then the single busiest Mohs surgeon in Kentucky for many years prior to opening Arizona Mohs Surgery. He has performed over 39,000 Mohs procedures with a cure rate over 99.5% and an infection rate of only 0.2%.

Dr. Dhir is a nationally recognized expert in both Mohs surgery and facial reconstruction.  His colleagues have repeatedly elected him to both Best Doctors in America and Castle Connolly's Top Doctors - recognitions that place Dr. Dhir in the top 5 to 7% of all U.S. board-certified physicians.

How long will it take?

Most patients spend 2 to 4 hours with us. Much of that is “downtime” where you rest comfortably while waiting on our team to prepare frozen Mohs sections and read the slides to ensure clear surgical margins. We encourage patients to bring reading materials to pass the time, and we also provide Wi-Fi access so that you may watch a movie or surf the internet on your own laptop computer, phone, or iPad. Please note that surgeries for larger, neglected, aggressive, recurrent, or mid-facial cancers may take longer, particularly if multiple stages are needed to clear the tumor and/or more advanced reconstruction is needed.

The majority of wound closures are performed in our office. Occasionally, we may need to utilize an outside surgical specialist to perform the post-Mohs reconstruction if the tumor turns out to be larger, deeper, or more complex than initially anticipated. If an outside surgical specialist is needed, the reconstruction may take place on the same day or on subsequent days. Please note that it is safe to delay the reconstruction, and that it’s possible that hospitalization may be needed for extensive reconstructions.

Do you perform Mohs surgery for melanoma?

The majority of Mohs surgeons and dermatopathologists believe that permanent (formalin-fixed) tissue sections allow more accurate margin analysis for melanoma than Mohs frozen sections, even if additional MART-1 immunostaining is done. This is not an issue for basal and squamous cell carcinomas, where frozen sections are universally accepted and allow more efficient, same day analysis. Therefore, we follow current NCCN surgical margin guidelines which state "the gold standard for histologic assessment of excised melanoma is use of permanent sections". Our specimens are evaluated within 24 - 48 hours by a board-certified dermatopathologist. NCCN guidelines also suggest that the surgeon consider delaying closure of melanoma excisions until margin analysis has been completed if a flap or graft may be required. This means that some melanoma surgeries may require 2 or more visits to ensure maximum accuracy.

What procedures and technology do you utilize to reduce the risk of Covid transmission?

Arizona Mohs Surgery is committed to providing the safest environment for both patients and staff. For decades, surgical facilities have been at the forefront of fastidious infection control practices due to challenges such as Hepatitis and HIV. To combat newer airborne diseases such as Covid-19 (SARS-CoV-2), we employ Global Plasma Solution’s NPBI air purification technology. This state-of-the-art system is utilized by prestigious medical institutions such as the Mayo Clinic, as well as Google, Harvard University, and the White House. Pathogen reduction testing results may be viewed here. Our six procedure rooms eliminate the typical “recovery room” utilized by many Mohs practices, where patients are placed in a communal setting while waiting on slides to be processed by the lab.

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Meet Doctor Dhir

Photo of Doctor Anir Dhir

Anir Dhir, MD, FACMS

Anir Dhir, M.D., is a fellowship-trained Mohs micrographic surgeon who is dedicated to excellence.  Since 1999, Dr. Dhir has performed over 39,000 Mohs surgeries with a cure rate of over 99.5%. He is a Life Member of the American College of Mohs Surgery and has been repeatedly elected by his colleagues to both Best Doctors in America and Castle Connolly's Top Doctors.

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See What Our Clients Are Saying

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I felt compelled to write you based on my superior care.  There is not a 'health grade' that is high enough to describe your caring of me.  I have had some excellent care in Tucson but your efforts are over the top of the others.

—TS
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The lovely ladies at the front desk could not be more accommodating.  They make you feel comfortable and they're so pleasant!  Your surgical assistant was so incredibly professional, but warm and friendly.

—JM
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Thank you so much! Sorry I cried. I get hormonal sometimes! You all were great and I appreciate everything you did for me!

—MW
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We are most grateful for the extraordinary skill and care you demonstrated when performing surgery last week. We are pleased beyond measure with your expertise.

—GT
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Everyone was extremely pleasant and helpful. All procedures were explained in detail which made the experience comforting. This is a wonderful group.

—Anonymous
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I have been reflecting on the minor basal cell surgery that you performed on me yesterday.  I am extremely pleased with the professionalism and expertise of you and your staff, and the quality of your facilities.  I will gladly recommend you and your facility to my family and friends.  Again, thank you for helping me to feel comfortable and reassured during the stressful time.

—DF
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It has been a little over a week since my last subcision procedure and things are going and looking great! I want you to know how much I greatly appreciate your help, kindness, and concern. You are one of the few doctors who leaves you with the pleasing impression that they honestly care about their patients.

—FG
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I would like to thank you for the kindness you showed my wife in taking care of the scarring on her face.

—FS
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Dr. Dhir and staff were great. We appreciate everyone for their help and kindness we were shown.

—WA