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Psychological Issues Regarding Mohs Micrographic Surgery

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Mohs Micrographic Surgery

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Abstract

Mohs surgery can have profound psychological impact on patients. Considered the treatment of choice for the excision of cosmetically sensitive, treatment-resistant cutaneous tumors, Mohs surgery can offer many potential beneficial effects. For a majority of patients, Mohs surgery provides good cosmetic outcomes and a feeling of relief that their cancer has been eradicated. Patients may even demonstrate improvements in quality of life and sun-protection behavior. However, for a significant group of patients, Mohs surgery can cause serious psychological problems because of the disfigurement that has resulted from surgery. Disfigurement, especially that of the face, can have detrimental effects on a patient’s psyche. Patients with disfigurement suffer from negative self-image and are often confronted with stigmatization in social interactions. Consequently, patients with disfigurement may develop secondary psychiatric disorders, including social phobia, generalized anxiety, or depression. Understanding how to best diagnose and manage patients with such psychiatric sequelae is extremely important aspect of patient care in dermatological surgery practice.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dermatology, UCSF Psoriasis and Skin Treatment Center, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Misha M. Heller, Tina Bhutani, Eric S. Lee & John Koo

Authors
  1. Misha M. Heller
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  2. Tina Bhutani
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  3. Eric S. Lee
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  4. John Koo
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Misha M. Heller .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Miller School of Medicine, Dept. Dermatology, University of Miami, NW. 10th Ave. 1600, Miami, 33136, Florida, USA

    Keyvan Nouri

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Heller, M.M., Bhutani, T., Lee, E.S., Koo, J. (2012). Psychological Issues Regarding Mohs Micrographic Surgery. In: Nouri, K. (eds) Mohs Micrographic Surgery. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-2152-7_47

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-2152-7_47

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