If you have skin cancer and are concerned about a visible scar after removal, consider Mohs surgery. Chevy Chase Mohs surgery can effectively treat basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma. In most cases, it can be done without general anesthesia at a doctor’s office or outpatient surgery facility. During the surgery, you will be awake but numbed to a comfortable level. It is an excellent treatment for treating skin cancer. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, Mohs surgery has a 99% success rate in curing cancer.
If you need Mohs surgery on your face, nose, scalp, or another location, here are tips to help you get ready:
Avoid smoking
Mohs is a safe surgery. However, any surgical procedure has the risk of bleeding and infection. Smoking tobacco and electronic cigarette can slow the healing process after your surgery. Smoking reduces blood flow and raises the risk of blood clots because nicotine causes blood arteries to constrict. Stop smoking two weeks before surgery since continuous blood flow is necessary for wound healing. After surgery, abstain from nicotine usage for at least two weeks makeeover.
Discuss your other health issues with your doctor
Dermatologists with extensive training often do Mohs surgery. If you have diabetes, heart issues, or a history of allergic reactions to local anesthetics, be sure to let your surgeon know. Also, you should see your primary care physician before surgery. If you have artificial joints or heart murmurs, you need to take antibiotics before the surgery to avoid infections.
Stop taking ibuprofen, aspirin, and over-the-counter supplements
During surgery, you should take all necessary precautions to prevent bleeding. Most patients have little bleeding following Mohs surgery; nonetheless, any precautions can’t hurt. You should cease using blood-thinning drugs such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen two weeks before surgery since they increase the risk of bleeding. Also, some over-the-counter supplements can increase the risk of bleeding. You should stop taking vitamins E and C, fish oil, garlic, and ginseng one week before surgery.
Get a good night’s sleep
Getting enough sleep helps improve immunological function. People who consistently get the amount of sleep they need have stronger immune systems and heal from injuries and illnesses more quickly than those who routinely get less sleep. Getting a good night’s sleep the night before a medical procedure might be challenging if you have a lot of preparations to do. If you’re having difficulties sleeping, try turning off the lights and soaking in a warm bath.
Eat a healthy breakfast
Many surgical procedures require that you refrain from eating food and liquids from midnight the day before the surgery. But that’s not the case with Mohs. Due to the use of local anesthetic during Mohs surgery rather than general anesthesia, you may and should have breakfast the morning of your procedure. Do you wish for a quick recovery? Then unsure, you take a combination of eggs and orange juice as your breakfast. Eggs, which are rich in protein, and orange juice, which is rich in vitamin C, are both excellent healing foods.
Call Ali Hendi, MD, to book your appointment for Mohs Surgery.
