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Mohs surgery is an advanced treatment procedure for skin cancer that offers the highest cure rate (up to 99%, even if the skin cancer has been previously treated). This procedure is state-of-the-art treatment in which the highly-trained physician serves as surgeon, pathologist and reconstructive surgeon. It relies on the accuracy of a microscope to trace and ensure removal of skin cancer down to its roots. This technique allows dermatologists, trained in Mohs surgery, to see beyond the visible disease, and to precisely identify and remove the entire tumor, leaving healthy tissue unharmed for optimal cosmetic outcomes. This procedure is most often used in treating two of the most common forms of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. The cure rate for Mohs surgery is the highest of all treatments for skin cancer–up to 99 % even if other forms of treatment have failed. This procedure, the most exact and precise method of tumor removal, minimizes the chance of cancer regrowth and lessens the potential for scarring and disfigurement.
The highly-trained surgeons that perform Mohs surgery at Ada West Dermatology are specialists both in dermatology and pathology. With their extensive knowledge of the skin and unique pathological skills, they are able to remove only diseased tissue, preserving healthy tissue and minimizing the cosmetic impact of the surgery. Dr. Winchester (Mayo Clinic), Dr. Thorpe (Zitelli Clinic), and Dr. Boothman (Surgical Dermatology Group) are fellowship trained in programs recognized and approved by the American College of Mohs Surgery. The American College of Mohs Surgery (ACMS) was founded by Dr. Frederic Mohs himself, who developed the ground-breaking Mohs sugery procedure.
The highly-competitive ACMS-approved fellowship training programs are the de facto gold standard for Mohs surgeon training and are prestigious and significantly more rigorous than other Mohs certifications such as those offered by the ASMS. Fellows-in-training undergo months of extensive, hands-on direction from highly qualified instructors. By choosing an ACMS-fellowship trained Mohs surgeon you can be assured that you will receive the highest standard of quality and competency, as well as an optimal outcome. The Mohs College currently recognizes more than 50 training centers where qualified, accepted applicants receive comprehensive training in Mohs surgery. The minimum training period is one year during which the dermatologist acquires extensive experience in all aspects of Mohs surgery, pathology and training in reconstructive surgery.
Before you have a Mohs procedure done, ask your surgeon to see if they are trained and certified in a rigorous ACMS fellowship with the highest standards of quality and competency. You can also verify their membership by clicking on the following link:
To learn more about Mohs surgery:
Dr. Daniel Winchester is a native of Ucon, Idaho. He grew up farming and visiting his grandparents on their small farm in Nampa. He graduated Cum Laude from Brigham Young University and was selected to speak at graduation. At BYU he was awarded the Edwin Hinckley Scholarship as the top student from the Life Sciences Department and served as the Executive Director of the BYU Student Association. He then attended the University of Utah School of Medicine where he received the Presidential Scholarship. There he graduated as one of the top of his class as a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society
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Dr. Ryan Thorpe is a native of the Dallas/Ft. Worth area and an Eagle Scout. He graduated magna cum laude from Brigham Young University with a degree in Accounting during which he won the National Deloitte Tax Competition and was a recipient of the prestigious Gordon B. Hinckley Presidential Scholarship out of high school. He subsequently graduated from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School at the top of his class, served as President of the Alpha Omega Alpha honor society, and was honored with the President’s Volunteer Service Award. He then completed dermatology residency at Duke University where he served as the chief resident.
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Dr. Boothman is a board-certified dermatologist and one of the nation’s few dual fellowship-trained Mohs and reconstructive cosmetic surgeons. A native of eastern Washington, he grew up between the wheat fields of the Palouse and the orchards of the Yakima Valley.
He attended Washington State University, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in Zoology. He then earned his medical doctorate from the University of Washington School of Medicine, subsequently completing his transitional-year internship at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, Washington.
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Pam came in with a spot on her nose. She didn’t think it was a serious problem at first. “You know occasionally you have a pimple or something. This was something like that, and I
This is an example of how Mohs surgery works. Mohs surgery is a precise surgical technique used to treat skin cancer— normally utilized for certain cases on the face/hand or with specific types of cancer.
Our patient, Jan, started seeing a dermatologist almost 40 years ago– for skin cancer. Because her genetic predisposition, fair skin, and childhood sunburns by the lake compounded her likelihood of skin cancer, she has had
Our fair-skinned patient, Kathy, had basal cell carcinoma on her face 30 years ago in another state, and although her doctor then used Mohs surgery techniques to remove the cancer, she still saw the scar
Abigail, 27, noticed a spot on her nose that seemed to come from out of nowhere. She ignored it for a while, until she decided to have a dermatologist check. “The first dermatologist I
Sometimes skin cancer can appear so tiny, but actually be growing much bigger underneath the surface. For example, the skin cancer Susan Drew had removed appeared as the tiniest little bump on the end of
