Alcoa & Blount County, TN
Mohs Micrographic Surgery
The Gold Standard for Skin Cancer Removal
Dr. D. Ryan Skinner has performed more than 16,000 Mohs procedures right here in Blount County. Mohs surgery offers cure rates of up to 99% for many common skin cancers.
When skin cancer is diagnosed, the goal is simple: remove every cancer cell while preserving as much healthy tissue as possible. Mohs micrographic surgery is the most precise technique ever developed to achieve both. For cancers on the face, head, neck, hands, and other cosmetically or functionally sensitive areas, it is widely considered the treatment of choice by dermatologists and oncologists alike.
What Makes Mohs Surgery Different?
Most surgical methods rely on a margin — essentially a best guess at how wide and deep to cut around the visible tumor. The tissue is then sent to an outside pathology lab, and results may not come back for days. If margins are not clear, a second surgery is required. Mohs surgery is different in three fundamental ways:
Real-time pathology
Dr. Skinner acts as both surgeon and pathologist. Each tissue layer is processed and examined immediately in our on-site lab, with results in about an hour.
Complete margin control
100% of the surgical margins are examined, compared to roughly 1% with standard excision techniques.
Tissue preservation
Because only cancer-containing tissue is removed, the final defect is as small as possible — critical when the tumor is near the eye, nose, ear, or lip.
How the Procedure Works
Step 01 — Removal of Visible Tumor
Dr. Skinner removes the visible tumor along with a thin surrounding margin of tissue. The wound is temporarily bandaged.
Step 02 — Lab Processing
The removed tissue is precisely mapped, color-coded, and processed in our on-site laboratory. Dr. Skinner personally examines 100% of the undersurface and edges under the microscope.
Step 03 — Results & Decision
If cancer cells are found at any margin, Dr. Skinner removes only that specific area — guided by the map — and examines it again. This repeats until all margins are clear.
Step 04 — Reconstruction
Once clear margins are confirmed, Dr. Skinner closes the wound. As a fellowship-trained reconstructive surgeon, he performs the full reconstruction himself — in the same appointment.
What Cancers Are Treated with Mohs?
Mohs surgery is particularly indicated when the cancer is on the face, scalp, neck, hands, feet, or genitals; the tumor has recurred; borders are poorly defined; the patient is immunosuppressed; or the cancer is large, aggressive, or high-risk.
Why Choose a Fellowship-Trained Mohs Surgeon?
Mohs surgery requires specialized fellowship training beyond a standard dermatology residency. Dr. Skinner completed his Mohs fellowship at Larkin Hospital in Miami under Dr. Daniel Rivlin, MD, FAAD, FACMS — a nationally recognized program. Not all dermatologists perform Mohs surgery, and fewer still perform their own reconstructions.
At Skinner Dermatology, the surgeon who removes your cancer is the same surgeon who closes your wound.
What to Expect on Your Mohs Day
Mohs surgery is performed as an outpatient procedure under local anesthesia. Most patients arrive in the morning, go through one to three stages (occasionally more for large or complex tumors), and are on their way home by afternoon. You will be awake and comfortable throughout.
Bring something to read, a snack, and a companion if possible — particularly if your tumor is large. Detailed pre-procedure instructions will be provided at your consultation. Most patients return to normal activities within a day or two.
Schedule a Consultation
Call our Alcoa office — same-week evaluation available for suspicious lesions.
(865) 268-4444220 Associates Blvd, Alcoa, TN 37701