| 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 everyday. So, when she noticed some familiar looking spots on her face, she was nervous.
“I wasn’t nervous about what it was. I figured it was another basal cell, ’cause it was just like the other one. But I had such a bad experience with the first one and I couldn’t look in the mirror without seeing the old scar…. I was extremely nervous about what it was going to look like because they were doing two spots.” Kathy talked to provider Alan Pitt, MD, PhD, FAAD about these two places, and a biopsy was taken. When the cancer was confirmed, a Mohs Micrographic Surgery with Dr. Winchester, was scheduled. “The procedure was so slick. It was just so painless and easy…You know it was such a difference from the last time. That was the biggest surprise. It was not as stressful as the last time and it was just so much easier,” explains Kathy. Just two months later, Kathy noticed her scars were barely noticeable. She said she had just told her husband recently, “Hey! It’s not even 2 months and I can’t see the spots unless I really look!” Mohs surgery gives you the highest cure rate and lowest recurrence rate of any skin cancer treatment, while preserving the maximum amount of normal tissue. and in the last 30 years, the procedure has been improved upon dramatically. However, not all doctors are created equal. Few dermatologists have the expertise required to perform it as they have not completed fellowship training accredited by the American College of Mohs Surgery. Ada West Dermatology is home to two fellowship-trained Mohs surgeons who care deeply about their patients: Dr. Winchester and Dr. Thorpe. Learn about more of our providers and their work on our Youtube Channel. |
