At The Skin Surgery Centre, we focus on offering high-quality professional techniques to our patients, but always with a personal touch. Our entire team—from our front office staff to your board-certified Dermatologist/Fellowship-trained Mohs micrographic surgeon—are all here to walk you through our services and answer any questions you have. If you’re in Louisiana or Mississippi, we’re here to help. This is what new patients can expect when visiting our practice after receiving a skin cancer diagnosis.

What we do at The Skin Surgery Centre

One of the most important aspects of our practice is skin cancer removal

If you’re visiting our practice, you’ve likely received a referral from your dermatologist due to a skin cancer diagnosis. This process can be intimidating, but our team is here every step of the way to explain what we’re doing and why.

Our team specializes in Mohs micrographic surgery, a highly effective procedure for removing skin cancer tissue. This is what you can expect with this procedure.

What to expect for skin cancer removal

The Mohs procedure involves the surgical removal of skin cancer layer by layer. This gives your doctor a chance to examine each layer of tissue under a microscope until we reach cancer-free tissue.

The lab is in our office, so we can quickly determine if your margins are clear. Margin refer to the border of tissue around the cancer and it’s considered “clear” when no cancerous cells are found in this border area.

Our team will go over all of the details of your procedure before it takes place. This will include instructions for post-op care, as well as any necessary steps to take before your appointment. Since many of our new patients have the same concerns, we’ve included answers to some of our frequently-asked questions.

1. Will it hurt?

The most painful part of Mohs micrographic surgery, and perhaps the only painful part, is getting the site numb. A simple injection will completely numb the area and any associated pain will quickly disappear.

We use every possible technique to make the numbing process as comfortable as possible. You may have some slight itching or discomfort in the day or two following the procedure, though most patients don’t notice much pain at all. Any discomfort is usually well controlled with over-the-counter pain medication.

 2. Will I have a scar?

In any surgical event, some level of scarring is inevitable. There is simply no way to remove a cancerous area with confirmed clear margins without leaving a scar. However, our technique minimizes scarring by removing only what is necessary.

Extensive training in reconstruction allows us to reduce the visibility of suture lines after a reasonable amount of healing time. While most sites are healed and stitches removed within two weeks, we advise allowing another six to eight weeks for greater improvement. You will see the color and texture improve dramatically as time goes on.

Our team will also counsel you on ways to reduce the appearance of a scar, such as avoiding the sun and moisturizing, or through the use of certain scar treatments.

3. Will I have any restrictions during recovery?

This will vary depending on the severity of your diagnosis, as well as the location of the surgical site. In general, we would like you to avoid heavy lifting and strenuous physical activity for one to two weeks following surgery. Additionally, you will need to avoid getting the site wet for 48 hours. After this, we still advise you to avoid submerging the site in water until your stitches are out. You may shower, but we will provide specific instructions and guidance on how to do this.

Our team is always here to help with your skin care needs.

Your Fellowship-Trained Mohs micrographic surgeons in the Gulf South

Aside from skin cancer removal, we also offer a range of procedures to help reduce pre-cancerous sun damage and decrease your chances of developing skin cancer.  These include chemical peels and fractionated laser resurfacing.  Additionally, we offer scar revision procedures to improve the appearance of your surgical scar.

The Skin Surgery Centre has three convenient locations across Louisiana and Mississippi. This means we are easily accessible with a range of appointment times for patients across the Gulf South. If you have been diagnosed with a skin cancer and your Board Certified Dermatologist recommended Mohs surgery, schedule your appointment at The Skin Surgery Centre today.