Surgical Procedures

Cryotherapy

Liquid nitrogen is applied to the growth with a spray device or cotton-tipped applicator. This freezes the tissue without requiring any cutting. This treatment is usually for pre-cancerous lesions and for the earliest, most superficial skin cancer lesions. Treatment may result in some short-term blistering, and occasionally, long-term permanent discoloration. Please contact us for a consultation with Dr. Navid Ezra to see if this treatment option is right for you.

Mohs (Skin Cancer) Surgery

Mohs surgery is the most effective treatment for most types of skin cancer. The Mohs procedure involves surgically removing skin cancer layer by layer and examining the tissue under a microscope until healthy, cancer-free tissue around the tumor is reached (called clear margins). Each Mohs surgeon is specially trained as a cancer surgeon, pathologist, and reconstructive surgeon and this results in Mohs surgery having the highest success rate of all skin cancer treatments – up to 99 percent.

Because of Mohs surgery’s high success rate, most patients require only a single surgery.

Scraping and Burning

This technique is usually reserved for small lesions generally not on the face. Local anesthesia is administered, the growth is gently scraped off with a tool with a sharp, ring-shaped tip, and then the tumor site is burned with a small needle.

Standard Excision

Standard Excision is the removal of a skin cancer along with some of the healthy skin tissue around it (margin). For this procedure, a local anesthetic is used to numb the area. After the cancerous area is removed, the incision is closed with stitches. If the incision is large, sometimes a skin graft or flap is required. Reconstructive surgery may be needed if the excision surgery creates a scar. Dr. Navid Ezra is highly experienced with excisional work. Contact California Dermatology Institute to schedule your procedure!