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Complications of Mohs Surgery

Mohs micrographic surgery is a procedure that is performed to remove certain skin cancers. According to DermNet, this surgical procedure is capable of curing up to 99 percent of skin cancers, including those that have a very high recurrence rate such as squamous cell carcinomas and basal cell carcinomas. Mohs surgery is generally safe and effective, though complications can occur.

  1. Bleeding

    • According to DermNet, bleeding is a possible complication of Mohs surgery. Patients with a history of bleeding problems are at a higher risk of experiencing this complication. Patients taking certain medications that can increase their bleeding risk, such as aspirin and warfarin, should not take these medications for a period of time before surgery to reduce their risk of postoperative bleeding. However, if not taking these medications poses a serious medical risk, you may continue to take them.

    Nerve Damage

    • Nerve damage that can lead to skin numbness is a potential complication of Mohs surgery, according to DermNet. Nerve damage can occur if the surgeon severs the small sensory nerve fibers in the skin. For most patients, this complication is temporary and will go away when new nerve fibers grow back. Surgeons are as careful as possible to not cause nerve damage when performing this surgery, but it is sometimes necessary to severe some of these nerves in order to completely remove the tumor.

    Infection

    • An infection is a possible after Mohs surgery but it is rare as long as the wound is properly cared for. Patients with pre-existing conditions like diabetes and those with large wounds may be required to take antibiotics after this surgery in an effort to prevent infection. If antibiotics were not initially prescribed and an infection does occur, a dose of antibiotics will effectively treat the infection.

    Poor Wound Healing

    • According to Vanderbilt University Department of Medicine, some patients who have Mohs micrographic surgery may experience poor wound healing. They state that sometimes this complication just happens, but some people may experience it due to poor overall health, bleeding or diabetes. Their wound may heal very slowly, it may reopen or the stitches used to close the wound may break. In most cases, the wound will heal on its own without additional medical treatment.

    Other Postoperative Problems

    • Other possible complications of Mohs surgery include graft failure, tissue death and clots that develop under the tissue. If a clot develops, it may have to be removed. If a graft--a piece of tissue used to repair a wound--fails, then another surgery may be necessary to replace it. In some cases, patients may experience tissue death as a complication of Mohs surgery. There is a chance that the tissue used to repair the wound can die. This may result in the need for an additional surgery.

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