The purpose of Mohs surgery or Mohs micrographic surgery is to remove cancerous skin tumors while protecting surrounding healthy tissue, according to the Encyclopedia of Surgery. The procedure treats skin cancers such as basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. Surgeons perform Mohs surgery when cancer cells reappear, scar tissue forms at the cancer site, cancer involves the lips, nose, eyelids or ears, the cancer is undefined or the cancer grows rapidly. Although the surgery is usually successful, complications can arise.
Wound Problems
Some patients may experience problems with their surgical wounds after Mohs surgery. Complications can occur if the surgeon accidentally enlarges an original wound while trying to remove the cancerous tumors or when an underlying condition weakens the immune system and causes a wound to heal too slowly, according to Ohio's Cleveland Clinic. After Mohs surgery, some patients may experience excessive bleeding around the surgical site that causes a delay in healing and precipitates additional office visits. In rare cases, harmful bacteria enter the wound during or immediately after the surgery, infecting the surgical site and spreading to various organs.
Loss of Nerve Function
A serious complication associated with Mohs surgery is the loss of motor or sensory nerve function, according to Ohio's Cleveland Clinic. Motor nerve function involves the muscles, whereas sensory nerve function involves sensation. During the surgery, nerves close to the surface of the skin may be damaged or severed as the surgeon removes the cancerous skin tumors. When a sensory nerve is damaged, injured or removed, a patient may experience numbness at the surgical site, but if a motor nerve is affected he may be unable to move the muscle connected to the damaged nerve, according to the Skin Specialist Centre in New Zealand. In addition, a patient may experience a loss of feeling in the affected area if the tumor starts to grow again, putting pressure on the surrounding nerves. In some cases, nerve function may eventually return.
Cosmetic Deformities
Cosmetic deformities can be a complication of Mohs surgery. These occur when cancerous skin tumors are removed from a visible part of the body such as the face, according to Vanderbilt University Department of Medicine. Many times skin cancer develops on the neck or head, and surgery on or near the eyes, lips or nose can leave a noticeable scar and limit function in those areas. In some severe cases, a surgeon may need to remove part or all of these facial structures to eradicate the skin cancer, resulting in a facial deformity.
