In this video, Dr Lauren Young explains what to expect on the day of your Mohs surgery — including how the procedure works, what happens in the lab, and how your care is handed over to Dr Nathan Schaefer for reconstruction.
Your procedure involves two specialists working across two stages.
Mohs micrographic surgery specialists at Q Dermatology. Remove the skin cancer under local anaesthetic and confirm it is fully cleared under the microscope before handover.
Plastic surgeon. Performs your reconstruction at one of his hospital locations in the city. His rooms will contact you with the details of where and when to attend.
Your skin cancer is removed here at Westside Private Hospital in Toowoomba under local anaesthetic. A dressing is applied and you wait comfortably while the tissue is processed in our Mohs lab. The entire edge of the removed tissue is examined under the microscope — if it's clear, we're done. If not, we remove more from where it's needed and repeat the process until your cancer is fully cleared.
70% of patients are clear after the first stage. Regardless of how many stages are needed, you will leave cancer-free on the day.
Once your cancer is confirmed clear, your care is handed to Dr Schaefer for reconstruction. Dr Schaefer operates at two hospitals in the city — his rooms will provide all the details on where and when to attend. Any questions about reconstruction, wound care, or postoperative recovery should be directed to Dr Schaefer's rooms.
For any questions before your Mohs procedure, Dr Young's team at Q Dermatology is available to help. For everything related to your reconstruction, please contact Dr Schaefer's rooms directly.