Mohs Surgery experience

Hi Jennmc

I had a MOHS operation back in March and have to say it was not painful and has been a great success. I was worried like you about scarring, but this has not happened. Admittedly, mine was a very small area removed, approx. 4mm wide and deep and we got the cancer in one go. I followed the consultants advice and have been putting on Vaseline that has kept the wound moist and seems to have helped reduce scars. You'd hardly know anything had been removed just 2 months later.

I've got an earlier post on here that I put up to share my experience that you might like to read. Mohs is the most successful form of treatment so I wish you luck and hope that it all goes well for you.

Thanks for the info and well wishes. It has been so discouraging up to this point with two excisions and still no successful results. 

I am glad Mohs surgery was a success for you. That gives me hope that there is maybe an end to this. 

Thank you and best wishes to you!

I'm sorry you have to go through this! My husband had MOHs surgery on his nose. They actually took a piece of ear cartilage and patched it. He said the ear hurt more! It's fine now and not noticeable.  

I had MOHs on my forehead and it left a white line scar. Not obvious unless you peer at it. 

I hope they get it in one go.  It's a long day either way. Bring a snack and a sweater (the lobby was freezing where I went). I hope all goes well for you.  

Thanks for the advice. I have heard it's a long process the day of the procedure. I have to go a couple hours outside of where I live to have it done which will add to that! 

Thanks again and I am glad everything went well for you!

Hi Jennmc,

I had MOHs in April and mine was quite a large area as it was an infilitrative BCC with ill defined borders. I found it a long day and very draining with anxiety running high but the team were very good. I would make sure you get some support for when you get home, I felt totally washed out and emotional afterwards, but this was my first and only surgery of any kind so my experience may be different. I have taken photos of my recover to give me encouragement that there is improvement in how it looks. This is my blog on here and some have found it helpful, which is great. https://community.macmillan.org.uk/blogs/b/weblog1206/archive/2017/05/11/the-first-5-weeks-post-surgery

I hope it all goes well for you and with MOHs you should finally be free of the cancer.

Indie 

Hi there. I took a look at your photos, and I am amazed at the progress that you have seen!!! I have had 7 previous surgical excisions and two of which are for the same spot on my face.

The sclerosing BCC just will not go away! That is the reason for the Mohs surgery. I am not sure of how invasive it is but your post ( and photos) have given me hope that I may look as amazing as you when healed!

All the best in your recovery. 

Jennmc

Hi, New to the site and hoping for some reassurance as very nervous.

Have a BCC on my nose and been to see consultant at hospital who has referred me to plastic surgery department as he said it would need 5 or 6 stitches, any help would be appreciated.

Hi Jayz 

I am sorry to hear about your diagnosis. You will find here that you are not alone! 

I am by no means a medical professional, just someone with my own experiences with BCC, and in my experiences the excisions have been not so bad. It is definitely stressful getting this diagnosis and then waiting for the procedure, but in my experience it has never been as bad as I worried it would be. 

My advice is to follow the surgeon's aftercare instructions to the letter and if you have any concerns, be sure to address them right away. Ask all the questions you have and don't feel bad for it. It is your health and you are entitled to all of the information you need.

I wish you all the best in your recovery!

Jenn

Hi there,

I was wondering how you surgery went? I am unfortunately going thru a similar situation. I have sclerosing BCC on the side of my nose and before surgery it seems quite large. I am terrified at what will be left of my face after the surgery. My dermatologist measures and says 1...so I'm assuming that 1 cm in diameter. How terrified should I be???!!!

There's really doesn't seem to be a lot of information on sclerosing out there...so anything you can share about your experience would be helpful to me.

Thanks 

Hi there.

I am sorry to hear you are going through this! The good news is that you are not alone here!

I have had such amazing success with the surgery on my face. It has been 11 months since I had the MOHS surgery, and most people are shocked to hear that I have had surgery at all as you can not hardly tell at all. I do have a scar, but it is very subtle. That amazes me because I have had two biopsies and three surgeries in the same spot which i thought would have left me slightly disfigured. Not. At. All! 

I was worried for the first surgery. How would i look? How much pain would i be in? It was not so bad at all and i healed well, but the cancer was not fully removed. The next surgery was in the operating room under stronger sedation because my surgeon had to go in very deep and a larger area. Again I was even more terrified. And again, the results looked very good, but the cancer was still there! I finally was booked for MOHS a couple hours from home in a large hospital with a surgeon that specialized in difficult to treat skin cancer. I WAS SO SCARED! How could I possibly have enough skin and tissue left for this to be an acceptable outcome! Well it looks amazing! It was VERY tight at first, and I had my nerve severed for the second time so I had no feeling in half of my nose and the cold weather was very uncomfortable. The tightness settled gradually and slowly I started to see how the healing was allowing my skin to adjust. The numbness has improved immensely too. It is still there, but not to the same degree.  I have been in awe at how my skin could compensate and settle without causing any obvious disfigurement. 

It seems that time and patience was really the key. I used gentle massage with organic oils once I was FULLY HEALED. I tried to stay hydrated and ate healthy as to promote a healthy immune system. 

I wish you all the best and please stay positive. Keep me posted on your progress. Your body is an amazing thing and I think you will be so pleasantly surprised at the resilience it will display!