Epidemiological review of ten years performing Mohs micrographic surgery by a single surgeon

Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) is the most precise surgery regarding margin control and total excision of tumours. The advantages of MMS include precise margin control, one-stop operation, and better patient satisfaction. The files of patients undergoing MMS between January 2013 and March 2023 were retrieved. Patients were referred for MMS as a result of having non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) on the face. A single surgeon operated on all patients. A total of 3812 MMS were performed. Fifty-eight percent of patients were male, and 41.92% were female (p < 0.001). Most lesions were midface (54%, p < 0.001), with 24% of lesions presenting in the left face and 21% in the right face (p = 0.012). Average MMS had 2.4 stages. Nose lesions and lesions with scar morphology required the most stages. Fair-skinned patients (Fitzpatrick Grade 2) required more stages than others in our cohort (p = 0.002). Eyelids, nose, and ear lesions were the areas that needed local flap coverage most often. This is a retrospective study, which could be seen as a limitation. To our knowledge, this is the first report in English in the literature that confirms the lateralisation of NMSC in the face. While most studies found a higher prevalence among females, this cohort is predominantly male. Previous operations in the same lesion have increased the number of stages needed to reach free margins.