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After successfully removing skin cancer from your body by the Mohs surgery, patients often feel a large wave of relief. With an over 99% cure rate, Mohs surgery is indeed considered a gold standard for the treatment of basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, some melanomas, and a variety of other skin tumors and malignancies.
Like all surgeries, however, Mohs comes with a the healing process in the post operative period. And similar to other surgeries, there are opportunities for unwanted aches, pains, and other complications.
“The Mohs Micrographic Surgery process is a very effective form of skin cancer removal,” notes Dr. Adam Mamelak, a board certified Dermatologist and fellowship-trained Mohs Surgeon in Austin, Texas. “This method attempts to clear all of the compromised sections of skin without taking unnecessary, larger portions of healthy tissue – a procedure commonly done in other methods of removal.”
But the act of removing these cells can be a bit more complicated depending on where the area of treatment is located. “Many of my patients are being treated for Basal Cell Carcinoma or Squamous Cell Carcinoma on their forehead, cheek, or nose,” Dr. Mamelak explains. These areas can be close to sensitive areas and nerves in the skin.
“When we cut the skin, we sometimes have to cut through the tiny sensory nerves in the skin,” explains Dr. Mamelak. “Unfortunately, this can create an area of numbness, or pins and needles feeling around the surgical site.”
This area of numbness can persist after Mohs surgery, but in many the small severed nerves will heal over time. This healing process can take a number of months, and some patients may even experience decreased sensation for a year or longer. “The nerves regrow extremely slowly,” explains Dr. Mamelak. Ultimately however, the sensation can return to the affected area as these nerves regrow.