Skin Surgery

Mohs surgery-Mohs surgery is named after Dr. Frederic Mohs, a doctor who developed this technique in the 1950s. Mohs surgery is tissue-sparing and offers the highest cure rate of any skin cancer therapy. By systematically removing small pieces of cancer and mapping the process, Dr. Sawyer is able to remove only the cancerous tissue and leaving the normal tissue behind. This results in a smaller wound and a very low recurrence rate.

Cysts-Cysts are pockets of invaginated skin cells that are not medically dangerous but can become irritated and painful, depending on size and location. Symptomatic cysts can be injected with anti-inflammatory medicine or excised.

Keloids-keloids are plaques of scar tissue that contain abnormal collagen. Keloids are common and not medically dangerous, but can become symptomatic at times. They are also cosmetically undesirable. Keloids can be surgically excised, injected with 2 types of medication, and/or treated with lasers.

Skin Cancer-Click for Power Point presentation

Excessive sweating-hyperhidrosis is a condition that can have medical causes, but is usually idiopathic, or occurring on its own. Topical treatments are sometimes useful but when those fail, other treatments are available such as iontophoresis and botulinum toxin injections. The most common areas treated are axillae (armpits), palms, and soles.

Birthmarks-Birthmarks come in many varieties, colors, and with different consequences. Most birthmarks are medically not significant but some carry with them a higher risk for the development of skin cancer. Many are cosmetically undesirable and some can be treated surgically, either by excision or by laser therapy.

Moles-There are many types of moles (nevi-singular is nevus). Some are completely benign and some carry risk for cancer. Dermatologists can often determine the significance of a nevus by examining it, but if uncertainty exists, a biopsy is done. Dr. Sawyer does biopsies that obtain the correct diagnosis but leave the most cosmetically attractive result possible. Her knowledge of both medical and surgical dermatology comes in handy for minimizing tissue removed in skin biopsies.