MOHS Micrographic Surgery
The Most Effective Treatment For Common Skin Cancer Types
The Mohs Micrographic Surgeons at Westside Private Hospital provide exceptional care to each and every patient they operate on.
Our range of services includes the removal, testing and treatment of skin cancers by qualified dermatologists who have completed additional sub-specialised training in pathology and surgery, and are accredited by the Australasian College of Dermatologists.
WHAT IS MOHS MICROGRAPHIC SURGERY?
Mohs surgery is considered the most effective technique for removing basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) and squamous cell carcinomas (SSCs), the two most common types of skin cancer.
This surgery is different from routine excisional surgery because it’s done in one day instead of waiting a long time frame for the results. Mohs Micrographic Surgery also examines 100% of cancer margins, spares healthy tissue and leaves the smallest scar possible.
How It Works
If you have a skin cancer that you’re worried about (most common places include the head and neck), a Westside Private Mohs Micrographic Surgeon can remove the skin cancer in one day with a 99% success rate. Only very rarely can a skin cancer not be removed entirely (less than 1%), in which case further surgery or radiotherapy may be recommended to you.
Our specially trained Mohs Micrographic Surgeon will draw marks around your lesion and inject a local anesthetic. Then, using a scalpel, they will remove the thinnest possible layer of cancerous tissue, sparing the surrounding healthy tissue. Once you have been bandaged, you will be taken to a recovery area.
While you rest in recovery, a technician will process the tumour in our on-site laboratory. The Mohs Surgeon will also examine the lesion under a microscope. If they find remaining cancer cells, you’ll be called back into the operating room. If not, the surgeon will let you know that the cancerous cells have successfully been removed.
Depending on the size of the excision, the wound can heal naturally, or the surgeon will close the surgical site with a linear repair (side-to-side stitching), or larger areas may require a skin graft or skin flap. On occasion, Mohs Surgeons at Westside Private Hospital elect a Plastic Surgeon to complete more complex skin closures to achieve the most optimal results for patients. However, most scars from Mohs surgery are often smaller and less visible than routine excisional surgery.
Benefits of MOHS Surgery
Westside Private gastroenterologists offer the full spectrum of digestive health services, including the diagnosis, treatment and management of:
- Efficient, cost-effective treatment
- Single-visit outpatient surgery
- Local anesthetic
- Results on the same day
- Smallest scar possible
- Up to 99% success rate for skin cancer that hasn’t been treated before
- Up to 94% success rate for skin cancer that has recurred
WHY UNDERGO MOHS SURGERY AT WESTSIDE PRIVATE HOSPITAL?
Within Westside Private Hospital, patients can access all the necessary resources for Mohs Micrographic Surgery to be performed comfortably and conveniently. Our integrated approach to healthcare positions our team of Dermatologists and Mohs Surgeons, Plastic Surgeons, Pathology, Lab Staff and highly experienced Nurses to achieve the best possible clinical outcomes for each and every patient, often in a single day.
The many reasons why Westside Private Hospital is a preferred location for Mohs Micrographic Surgery include:
- Dermatologists who are Mohs Surgeons are located on-site
- Mohs lab located on-site for prompt testing of excision
- Pathologist/lab work completed on-site the same day
- Theatres on-site should a patient require priority surgery
- Mohs Surgeon may nominate a Plastic Surgeon to perform a more complex closure for a patient’s benefit
- Expert teams and support staff
- Single-visit day hospital surgery
- Free undercover parking (up to three hours), with a luxury Medihotel located within the hospital
THE MOHS MICROGRAPHIC SURGERY PATIENT JOURNEY
Stage
01
Consultation with Dermatologist
- Your Dermatologist will recommend a MOHS procedure
- Procedure is booked in at Westside Private MOHS Theatre
Stage
02
Patient Admitted
- You are admitted to Westside Private Hospital’s MOHS Theatre
Stage
03
Marked Lesion
- Your lesion is marked and removed under local anaesthetic
Stage
04
Mapping
- Excised tissue is divided and edges are mapped with dye
Stage
05
Slides
- The excised tissue is frozen. It is then sliced and examined under a microscope to check the margins
Stage
06
If Cancer Cells Remain
- Another layer of tissue is removed and the procedure is repeated until no cancer cells remain at the surgical margin
Stage
07
Margins Clear
- Surgical wound is managed
- Direct closure of the wound takes place or
- Complex wound plastic surgeon closes skin flap, skin graft or combination
- You will be discharged from hospital
WHAT AREAS OF THE BODY IS MOHS MICROGRAPHIC SURGERY MOST SUITED?
Your Dermatologist and Mohs Surgeon will advise this at the time of consultation. However, Mohs Micrographic Surgery is most beneficial to tumours on the head and neck and is most commonly used for basal cell carcinomas. Some of the common areas on which Mohs Surgery is operated are the lips, ears, nose, eyelid, and eyebrows. It’s important for patients to preserve the healthy tissue in the facial region whilst eradicating the area of cancer.
MEET OUR DERMATOLOGISTS AND
MOHS SURGEONS
Special Interests
Skin Cancer
Mohs Micrographic Surgery
Paediatric Dermatology
Allergic Contact Dermatitis
Acne and Rosacea
Speciality
Dermatologist and Mohs Micrographic Surgeon
Westside Private Hospital
Suite 206
32 Morrow Street
Taringa QLD 4068
Phone 07 3193 9715
Fax 07 3144 5652
Dr Quinn trained at the Princess Alexandra Hospital before undergoing specialty training in Dermatology through tertiary hospitals in Queensland and Victoria. In Melbourne, he received specialised training in melanoma and skin cancer at the Victorian Melanoma Service and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre – two of the largest Melanoma services in Australia.
Dr Quinn has completed an Advanced Fellowship in MOHS Micrographic Surgery, Cutaneous Oncology and Lasers endorsed by the Australasian College of Dermatologists and the American College of MOHS Surgery.
Special Interests
Skin Cancer
Mohs Micrographic Surgery
Adult and Paediatric Patients
Acne and Rosacea
Eczema
Psoriasis
Sweating
Speciality
Dermatologist and Mohs Micrographic Surgeon
Westside Private Hospital
Suite 206,
32 Morrow Street
Taringa QLD 4068
Phone (07) 3193 9715
Fax (07) 3144 5652
Dr Young studied medicine at Monash University in Melbourne. She then completed her specialty training in Dermatology and received the Travelling Fellowship Award for the most meritorious performance in the ACD’s national specialist exams. Dr Young then visited dermatology units in major hospitals in Canada and the USA to further her medical and paediatric dermatology expertise.
Dr Young subsequently undertook a Fellowship in Skin Cancer Management and MOHS Micrographic Surgery and worked as a specialist Dermatologist for several years at the Alfred Hospital and in private practice in Melbourne. Having returned home to Brisbane in 2018, Dr Young has established practice at Q Dermatology and Westside Private Hospital.
Special Interests
Skin Cancer
Mohs Micrographic Surgery
Reconstruction and General Dermatology
Disorders of the Skin, Hair and Nails
Speciality
Dermatologist and Mohs Micrographic Surgeon
Westside Private Hospital
Suite 206,
32 Morrow Street
Taringa QLD 4068
Phone (07) 3193 9715
Fax (07) 31445652
Dr Karyn Lun graduated from the University of Queensland with a Bachelor of Medicine and a Bachelor of Surgery. After working as a general practitioner for five years, she trained as a specialist dermatologist with the Australasian College of Dermatologists (ACD), completing her Fellowship in 2003. During this time, she had the opportunity to train for a year at the prestigious St Johns Institute of Dermatology, St Thomas’ Hospital in London.
In 2004, Dr Lun undertook a further year of training in Sydney, completing a subspecialty fellowship in laser and Mohs micrographic surgery. She is an approved ACD Mohs surgery specialist, one of the 12 in Queensland and one of the 9 female ACD Mohs specialists in Australia. She is also a Fellow of the American College of Mohs Surgery.
She has a strong commitment to her patients and teaching junior doctors at the Queensland Institute of Dermatology.
GET IN TOUCH
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