Mohh Micrographic Surgery Case Study
Demand for Mohs Micrographic Surgery in British Columbia
In this discussion, I will be analyzing the demand for Mohs micrographic surgery in British Columbia. Mohs micrographic surgery is named after its inventor, Dr. Frederic Mohs, who first described the technique in 1941 (Alai, 2006). It is a unique surgical procedure that removes skin cancer, one tissue layer at a time, using local anaesthesia. Once a cancerous tissue layer is removed from the patient, its edges are marked with colored dyes, and a map of the tissue is created. The tissue is then frozen, cut into sections using a cryostat, placed onto microscope slides, and stained with special dyes by a Mohs histotechnician. The slides are then carefully examined under the microscope by the Mohs surgeon so that any microscopic …show more content…
If there are remaining cancer cells on the margin on the tissue then an additional tissue layer is removed (See Figure 1, A.C.M.S, 2002). The process is designed to keep as much healthy skin intact as possible. Patients are usually in the waiting room for most of the day while their tissue is being processed and “read”. Once the cancer has been removed, the Mohs surgeon will explain options for repair of the wound These include plastic surgery techniques such as stitching the wound together using a side-to-side closure, or using a skin flap or graft. Mohs Surgeons are often plastic surgeons and/or dermatologists that also have completed one to two year American College of Mohs Surgery (ACMS) fellowship training program. The majority of Mohs cases are performed in private clinics, and there is only one in British Columbia located at The Skin Care Center near Vancouver General Hospital. The clinic has a monopoly in B.C, but there
In this discussion, I will be analyzing the demand for Mohs micrographic surgery in British Columbia. Mohs micrographic surgery is named after its inventor, Dr. Frederic Mohs, who first described the technique in 1941 (Alai, 2006). It is a unique surgical procedure that removes skin cancer, one tissue layer at a time, using local anaesthesia. Once a cancerous tissue layer is removed from the patient, its edges are marked with colored dyes, and a map of the tissue is created. The tissue is then frozen, cut into sections using a cryostat, placed onto microscope slides, and stained with special dyes by a Mohs histotechnician. The slides are then carefully examined under the microscope by the Mohs surgeon so that any microscopic …show more content…
If there are remaining cancer cells on the margin on the tissue then an additional tissue layer is removed (See Figure 1, A.C.M.S, 2002). The process is designed to keep as much healthy skin intact as possible. Patients are usually in the waiting room for most of the day while their tissue is being processed and “read”. Once the cancer has been removed, the Mohs surgeon will explain options for repair of the wound These include plastic surgery techniques such as stitching the wound together using a side-to-side closure, or using a skin flap or graft. Mohs Surgeons are often plastic surgeons and/or dermatologists that also have completed one to two year American College of Mohs Surgery (ACMS) fellowship training program. The majority of Mohs cases are performed in private clinics, and there is only one in British Columbia located at The Skin Care Center near Vancouver General Hospital. The clinic has a monopoly in B.C, but there