Planning for Your Mohs Surgery

Preparing for Surgery: All  our Mohs Surgery takes place in our Athens office, where our specialized operative suites and lab are located.

• Medications:
  • You should take your daily medications according to your normal schedule. If you have been prescribed anti-anxiety medication, we ask  you to bring that medication to your appointment. We will give you time to take it after your consultation with Dr. Campbell and before we begin your procedure.
• Breakfast/Lunch:
  • We encourage you to have a light meal before your surgery. In some cases, you may be with us for several hours, and often patients feel better with something in  their stomach. We will also provide light snacks/refreshments to keep you as comfortable as possible.
• Site Preparation:
  • We ask that you avoid any make up or jewelry that may cover your surgical site(s). We also encourage you to avoid moisturizing close to any surgical site(s) on the day of surgery, as it may make it difficult for us to apply a secure bandage.
• Transportation:
  • We perform all procedures under local anesthetic. You will not be sedated, and most patients are able to drive themselves to and from surgery; however, some patients feel more comfortable with someone accompanying on the day of their surgery. If we are operating near your eye, we do require you to have a driver for after surgery. If you are at all worried  you may not feel comfortable driving after your procedure, we encourage you to bring a driver with you as well.
• Time:
  • You should be prepared to be with us for 4-6 hours. Though you will not be in surgery for the entirety of your appointment, processing tissue takes additional time. We will do our best to make your appointment and time with us as efficient as possible.
• Following Surgery:
  • We encourage you to limit your responsibilities following surgery. Rest, especially directly proceeding surgery, will allow you to heal quicker and more comfortably. We also ask that you allow plenty of time for your surgical appointment, as we are unable to initially predict how long you will be with us.

Please bring the following on the day of surgery:

• Current list of medications
• Any pathology or identifying photographs relating to surgical site(s)
• Medications  you may need to take while with us
• Reading material (you will have some down time while your tissue is processed)
• A sweater or light jacket
• Transportation (if needed)

Melanoma and unusual tumors:

Some tumors may require additional studies that require overnight processing and specialized stains. In these cases, we may excise the tumor on the initial day of surgery and perform the closure on the following day after confirming the margins are free of tumor with overnight processing. Our Surgery Coordinator is available to answer any questions you might have before your surgery. Please call her directly at (706) 995-0031.