Mohs surgery: Indications and methods of surgical reconstruction

Mohs micrographic surgery offers two distinct advantages when managing basal and squamous cell skin cancers-tissue conservation and high cure rate. Mohs micrographic surgery has clearly established itself as the "standard of care" for recurrent and cosmetically obvious skin cancers of the face and neck. The ability to check 100% of a three-dimensional margin has resulted in reported 5-year cure rates of 99%. This high cure rate not only offers the patient greater peace of mind but also offers the facial plastic surgeon confidence to reconstruct complex defects in areas of otherwise high local recurrence. The authors discuss the latest reconstructive techniques for Mohs surgical defects and examine the indications and future direction for Mohs surgical excision.