Preparing for Mohs Surgery

• Most patients are scheduled directly for surgery without a preoperative visit. A consultation will be done on the day of the procedure.  
• Surgery is performed under local anesthesia. We suggest that you eat your normal breakfast or lunch unless otherwise specified. Please bathe or shower and wash your hair to minimize your risk of a surgical site infection. 
• It is important that you do NOT take any anti-anxiety medicines, narcotic pain medicines or similar types of medicines on the morning of the surgery.  If needed, we will provide you with an anti-anxiety medicine once you have signed the consent form. You will need someone to accompany you to give you a ride home. This is a requirement if you receive anti-anxiety medicine.  
• It is essential that you are able to positively identify the biopsy site on which surgery will be performed. If you cannot, please let us know ahead of time. You may need to go to your referring physician to have the site marked.   
• Many of our patients are on blood thinning medications that are prescribed by their physician. We do not recommend stopping them without explicit permission from the prescribing physician. For those on Coumadin/Warfarin, please make sure that your INR is in the therapeutic range. We request that you stop taking any aspirin or ibuprofen compounds (like Anacin, Bufferin, Advil or Motrin), alcohol, vitamin E, gingko biloba and garlic pills at least one week before your surgery. They can increase your risk of bleeding during surgery. If your physician recommends aspirin please do not discontinue without their permission. 

For patients scheduled with Dr. Lee for Mohs or excisional surgery: View and print the Preparing for Surgery with Ken K. Lee, MD, PC handout. 

For patients scheduled with Drs. Adler, Alexander, Bremner, Chang, Hopkins, Chapman, or Shaw for surgery: View and print the Preparing for Surgery – General Dermatology handout.