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Melanoma & Dysplastic Mole Surgery

Melanoma, the most serious of the three common skin cancers, is effectively treated with either a wide local excision or a modified version of Mohs surgery commonly referred to as "slow Mohs." Atypical moles are treated with excision.

With an excision, the melanoma or atypical mole along with a margin of normal skin (the size of which is determined by the depth of your melanoma or the grade of atypia of your dysplastic mole on the biopsy report) is removed and sent to a laboratory for processing. A dermatopathologist will review the slides from the excision and determine if all the melanoma or dysplastic cells have been removed. 

With "slow Mohs," the lab work performed to evaluate the margins of the tissue removed is performed in a slower overnight processing technique rather than in the office while the patient waits. The tissue is still processed in a way that allows complete evaluation of all the margins, like traditional Mohs surgery. This approach allows a more accurate evaluation of the malignant melanoma cells in order to provide the best chance for cure. 

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If you have questions, please contact Dr. McCoppin to schedule an appointment to go over all your available surgical options.