The most advanced treatment for skin cancer
Mohs surgery is an advanced surgical technique that has the highest cure rate for skin cancer.
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Mohs surgery is used primarily to treat the two most common types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Dr. Frederic Mohs originally developed the technique in which one physician serves in three distinct roles as cancer surgeon, pathologist, and reconstructive surgeon. Mohs surgery differs from all other skin cancer treatment methods because it combines intraoperative microscopic examination of the cancer with detailed mapping of the entire three-dimensional surgical margin. This precision allows board-certified, fellowship-trained Anir Dhir, M.D. to remove only tissue involved with cancer, with a cure rate of over 99.5%.
Dr. Dhir performs the surgery in our state-of-the-art office while you are awake. Local anesthesia, and sometimes a mild oral sedative, are used to keep you comfortable throughout the procedure. He removes the visible skin cancer along with a thin rim (“margin”) of surrounding skin. A bandage is placed, and you are allowed to relax, and even eat or drink, while our in-house laboratory prepares slides for examination. Dr. Dhir checks the edges of the specimen for cancer cells using a microscope. If additional cancer cells are seen, more tissue is removed from precisely the area involved with cancer. Once Dr. Dhir confirms that all cancer has been removed, he utilizes plastic surgical techniques to reconstruct the wound to minimize scarring and give you the most natural result. The wound may be closed with stitches, a flap, or a graft. In some cases, a wound may be allowed to heal on its own.
The purpose of any cancer treatment is to remove all traces of tumor. Cancer roots are often hidden below the surface of the skin and are easily missed with traditional treatments. Unfortunately, all non-Mohs techniques (e.g. scraping and burning, standard excision, and radiation) rely on the unassisted human eye to determine the extent of disease. As a result, these less accurate techniques are associated with cure rates of 90-94% or less, meaning they fail to cure the cancer in at least one out of every ten to twenty treatments. Non-Mohs approaches also lead to repeat surgeries in as many as 1 in 5 cases, because the physician is effectively guessing where the true cancer margins lie.
By contrast, the cure rate at Arizona Mohs Surgery with Mohs surgery is over 99.5%, so the risk of a treatment failure is reduced to less than one in 200 surgeries.
Because Mohs surgery is so precise, the amount of tissue removed is also minimized, resulting in smaller wound which requires smaller reconstruction and heals more quickly.
We are committed to providing the highest quality and safest care at the lowest possible cost.
Our surgeries are performed entirely under local anesthesia in our outpatient office that was designed and built specifically for Mohs surgery using the best U.S.- and German-manufactured equipment and instruments. By focusing on office-based care without putting you to sleep, we eliminate the traditional costs of an ambulatory surgery center or hospital, and the potential risks of intravenous / general anesthesia and alternative therapies such as radiation. Our approach can reduce the cost of a single skin cancer surgery by several hundred or even a few thousand dollars. Dr. Dhir examines the tissue himself while you wait to make sure that the cancer has been completely removed before performing any needed reconstruction. Therefore, a single visit is generally sufficient, and there are no additional pathologist costs in the vast majority of cases. The entire visit (consultation, preparation, anesthesia, excision, tissue examination, and reconstruction) typically lasts 2 to 4 hours. Much of that time is spent waiting comfortably while we prepare and examine the tissue.
Mohs surgery is the treatment of choice for cancers located in cosmetically or functionally critical areas such as the face, neck, scalp, and hands. It is also the best approach for non-facial tumors measuring at least 2 cm in diameter, as well as aggressive or rapidly growing cancers and those with ill-defined edges on clinical examination. Because Mohs surgery is more accurate than any other approach, many cancers are sent to Dr. Dhir after failing other attempts at therapy. These “recurrent” cancers may be more serious and often significantly larger than they appear on the surface. The same is true for large or neglected tumors, and those arising in patients with a history of cigarette smoking. Please be advised that these tumors typically require more time and effort to cure, and may occasionally need more than one surgery and/or occasional referral to other specialists if deeper structures (e.g. muscle, bone, cartilage, nerves, tear ducts, the inside of the nose) are involved with cancer. Also, tumors at higher risk for “metastasis” (spread to internal organs) may require additional treatment, such as lymph node dissection, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or immunotherapy, even after microscopically clear margins are obtained.
Dr. Dhir is one of the most experienced skin cancer surgeons in the country, having performed over 40,000 Mohs procedures since 1999. His friendly, compassionate team has worked together for many years, and they are committed to your health, comfort, and a positive experience.
I feel like the luckiest person on earth that I was sent to you. You have the lightest touch while working, but the determination to get things right like a 5 Star General. You are rare.
Just a quick note to express my sincere gratitude to you and the rest of your staff for the attention I was shown during my last surgical visit. It is not in my genetic makeup to make a practice of writing these types of letters, but the compassion, enthusiasm, reassurance, and medical expertise shown by you and your staff more than warrant it.
Just wanted to send you a little note of thanks for being so kind and thoughtful when I had my minor surgery on Friday. It was so nice of you to call me after the surgery to see how I was feeling. I don't think I have ever had a doctor do that and it made me feel good. Thanks again.
Thank you so much for the great job that you did for me. I greatly appreciate all that you are and all that you do. Your staff was wonderful and I was impressed with your care, humor, and confidence and of course your skills. I felt very comfortable and in great hands.
Thanks for being so kind to me during my recent surgery. You are beautiful people. With love and best wishes.
Thank you for allowing me to observe your surgeries and 'talking shop' through the procedures for my benefit. Your sincere concern for your patients' comfort, as exhibited by your extraordinary bedside manner, truly sets a new, higher level for me to strive toward. I will strive for the highest mark, and I appreciate your example and training.
Thank you so much for your excellent surgery. The friendliness of your staff and you made the surgery very easy and relaxed for me, and I do appreciate it.
How can I possibly explain how much you have meant to us. When you took the Hippocratic Oath, it must have had an addendum that covered care and compassion. You are truly special and I feel so blessed to know you.
Thank you for an extremely competent experience.
