Columnist · Editorial staff
Galina Roussos
Specializes in myth-checking common claims about Mohs surgery against the published literature.
18 stories by Galina Roussos
Explainer · 5 min · Galina Roussos
What 100 Percent Margin Assessment Actually Means, and Why It Drives the Mohs Cure Rate
The difference between Mohs surgery and standard excision comes down to geometry and how pathologists slice tissue. Here is the mechanism, explained without the marketing gloss.
August 10, 2026
Explainer · 5 min · Galina Roussos
Second Intention Healing After Mohs: When Leaving the Wound Open Beats Stitches
Not every Mohs defect needs a flap or graft. Here is the evidence behind letting certain wounds close themselves, which sites heal beautifully, and where the strategy backfires.
August 4, 2026
Dispatch · 8 min · Galina Roussos
When Mohs does not clear it: what happens after the fourth stage
Mohs is described to patients as the technique with the highest cure rate, which is true and quietly implies something false. A small number of tumors keep going, and nobody explains the day in advance.
July 24, 2026
Explainer · 5 min · Galina Roussos
What Actually Happens to Your Tissue Between Mohs Stages
Patients often spend more time waiting than in the chair. Here is a plain-English walkthrough of the lab work that fills those hours, and why it is the whole point of the procedure.
July 24, 2026
Dispatch · 8 min · Galina Roussos
Blood thinners and Mohs: the medication list nobody asks you for correctly
The default in dermatologic surgery is to keep medically necessary blood thinners running, and the bleeding risk of stopping them is worse than the bleeding risk of the operation. The list that does need reviewing is the one patients never think to mention.
July 24, 2026
Dispatch · 7 min · Galina Roussos
The risks and complications of Mohs surgery, honestly explained
Mohs is one of the safest cancer operations performed, and knowing the small risks makes consent real.
July 21, 2026
Dispatch · 7 min · Galina Roussos
Mohs vs curettage and electrodesiccation: which fits your skin cancer?
The quick scrape-and-burn treatment has a real place, but it cannot prove the margin the way Mohs does.
July 15, 2026
Dispatch · 6 min · Galina Roussos
Mohs surgery beyond the face: scalp, hands, and lower legs
The technique is best known for facial skin cancer, but tight scalps, working hands, and slow-healing shins each change the plan in their own way.
July 8, 2026
Dispatch · 5 min · Galina Roussos
Driving, work, and exercise: returning to normal life after Mohs
Most patients drive home the same day and are back at a desk within days; exercise takes longer.
July 6, 2026
Dispatch · 6 min · Galina Roussos
How long does Mohs surgery take? The honest timeline
Plan for two to four hours, sometimes a full day, and know why the waiting is the feature.
July 3, 2026
Dispatch · 6 min · Galina Roussos
Signs of infection after Mohs surgery, and when to call
Most wounds heal cleanly; knowing the warning signs lets you act early.
July 2, 2026
Dispatch · 5 min · Galina Roussos
Sunscreen and skin checks: a year-round plan, not a summer habit
The prevention routine that catches skin cancer early works all twelve months.
June 30, 2026
Dispatch · 7 min · Galina Roussos
Mohs surgery vs standard excision: what is the difference?
Both remove skin cancer, but only one checks every margin the same day.
June 16, 2026
Dispatch · 5 min · Galina Roussos
Is Mohs surgery painful? Anesthesia and comfort
What patients actually feel during and after the procedure.
May 9, 2026
Dispatch · 6 min · Galina Roussos
When Mohs is the right choice, and when it is not
It is not for every skin cancer; here is how the decision is made.
February 19, 2026
Dispatch · 7 min · Galina Roussos
Reconstruction after Mohs surgery
Closing the wound is its own art, from simple stitches to local flaps.
February 3, 2026
Dispatch · 6 min · Galina Roussos
What to expect on the day of Mohs surgery
A long appointment with a lot of waiting, and why that is a good sign.
November 28, 2025
Dispatch · 6 min · Galina Roussos
Mohs for skin cancers that came back
Recurrent tumors are trickier, and a strong reason to choose Mohs.
November 28, 2025