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Mohs micrographic surgery - clear margins, the smallest possible scar.

Margin-controlled excision with same-day frozen-section mapping for high-risk skin cancer. Trained Mohs surgeons in dedicated suites - with reconstruction planned for the same afternoon.

See indicative pricing
A radiographer guides a patient onto the bed of an advanced 3 Tesla MRI scanner in a London imaging suite

Indicative pricing

What private Mohs surgery costs in the UK.

Indicative ranges across our vetted UK partners.

In short

A single-day Mohs procedure with local flap reconstruction: £3,500–£6,500, all-in.

Procedure Indicative range
Mohs surgery, single stage, primary closure £2,800–£4,500
Mohs surgery, 1–3 stages, local flap closure £3,500–£6,500
Mohs surgery, complex/multi-stage + graft £5,500–£9,500
Mohs with combined oculoplastic reconstruction £6,500–£12,000
Additional Mohs stage + £450–£800 each
Diagnostic biopsy (if not done) £350–£650
Consultation and photography £220–£380

Prices depend on the number of Mohs stages required, the complexity of reconstruction, and whether an oculoplastic or facial plastic surgeon is needed.

The problem

The right tumour, the right surgeon, and reconstruction on the same day.

Mohs is offered too rarely for the tumours that need it and, occasionally, offered where a simple excision would have done. We only recommend it where it actually improves the outcome.

  • Not every tumour needs Mohs

    A small, well-defined BCC on the cheek is safely dealt with by standard excision. Mohs is for higher-risk tumours where it changes the answer.

  • The right stage count is unpredictable

    Most tumours clear in 1–2 stages, some need 3–4.

  • Reconstruction planned, not improvised

    A defect after Mohs is often larger than expected. The closure plan - flap, graft, or staged repair - is discussed before, not decided in the corridor.

When it helps

When Mohs is the right operation.

The tumours and sites where margin-controlled excision improves cure rate and preserves tissue - plus what does not need Mohs.

  • Facial H-zone BCC

    Central face, eyelids, nose, lips, ears - high recurrence risk with standard excision. Mohs is preferred.

  • Ill-defined tumours

    Where clinical borders are unclear, standard excision underestimates spread. Mohs traces subclinical extension.

  • Recurrent skin cancer

    Previously treated tumour re-growing at the same site - Mohs cure rate at five years is around 94% versus 60–70% for standard re-excision.

  • Aggressive histological subtypes

    Morphoeic/sclerosing BCC, infiltrative BCC, and moderately or poorly differentiated SCC - subclinical spread is common.

  • Immunosuppressed patients

    Transplant recipients and long-term immunosuppression - where multiple, aggressive tumours are common and margin control matters.

  • Cosmetically sensitive sites

    Where tissue preservation improves the reconstructive outcome - nose, eyelid, lip, ear.

  • Selected lentigo maligna

    With a slow-Mohs or staged margin-controlled protocol using paraffin sections.

  • Not for

    Small, well-defined nodular BCC on cheek or forehead - standard excision is faster, cheaper and cosmetically equivalent.

Options

Mohs stages and reconstruction options.

What each Mohs stage involves, and what reconstructions typically follow - from same-day primary closure to referred staged repair.

  • Standard Mohs (frozen section)

    Same-day fresh-tissue frozen sections. The default for BCC and SCC.

  • Slow Mohs / staged margin-controlled excision

    Paraffin-section review over 24–72 hours. Used for lentigo maligna and some pigmented lesions.

  • Same-day primary closure

    For small defects - closed in the Mohs suite once margins are clear.

  • Local flap reconstruction

    Advancement, rotation, transposition (rhomboid, bilobed) - chosen after the defect is defined.

  • Full-thickness skin graft

    Skin harvested from post-auricular or upper-eyelid donor. Preferred where flaps would distort a free margin.

  • Staged reconstruction

    Paramedian forehead flap for large nasal defects, or Abbe/Estlander for lip defects - over two or three operations.

  • Combined oculoplastic Mohs

    For eyelid tumours - Mohs surgeon excises, oculoplastic surgeon reconstructs in the same theatre.

  • Referral for granulation healing

    For selected small defects, healing by secondary intention gives an excellent scar without operation.

Safety and recovery

What to expect afterwards - honestly.

Mohs is a long day, not a big operation. Almost all cases are under local anaesthetic with reconstruction the same afternoon. The variables are stage count and closure complexity.

  • Mohs is safe, but a long day

    Almost all cases are under local anaesthetic with home discharge the same evening. Plan the day, not the operation.

  • Bleeding and haematoma

    Under 2% and usually settled with pressure. Blood thinners are reviewed but rarely stopped.

  • Wound infection

    Under 2% with clean technique.

  • Numbness

    Small patches of altered sensation are normal for months. Nerves regrow slowly.

  • Cure rates

    Primary BCC: 99% five-year cure with Mohs versus 90% with standard excision. Recurrent BCC: 94% vs 60–70%. SCC: 97% vs 92%.

  • Stage count is unpredictable

    Most tumours clear in 1–2 stages. Around 10% need three or more. The Mohs day is booked for the maximum, not the minimum.

  • Reconstruction complications

    Flap and graft complications are the same as for standard excision - partial failure 1–3%, revision uncommon.

  • Positive margins are vanishingly rare

    The whole point of Mohs is 100% margin assessment. Positive margins after the final stage should not happen.

  • New tumours are separate events

    A recurrence at the same site is different from a new tumour on adjacent skin. Annual surveillance addresses both.

Reading your notes

Your notes in four parts. Read the last one first.

The letter you receive from the consultant keeps to the same shape.

  1. 01 Diagnosis

    Tumour type and prior treatment

    The histology, prior treatments, and reason Mohs was chosen.

  2. 02 Mohs stages

    Layers and mapping

    Number of stages, final defect size, and confirmation of clear margins.

  3. 03 Reconstruction

    Closure technique

    Primary closure, named flap or graft, donor site, and any staged plan.

  4. 04 Impression

    Follow-up and surveillance

    Read this first: cure rate for your tumour, when to be seen again, and long-term skin surveillance advice.

Recognised by major UK insurers

BupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealixBupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealixBupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealix

Mohs surgery is covered by most UK insurers for approved indications (facial H-zone, recurrent tumours, aggressive histology).

Frequently asked

Everything we get asked about Mohs surgery.

Quick answers on how it works, the day itself, reconstruction, cost and cure rates.

  • How is Mohs different from standard excision?

    In standard excision, the surgeon takes a fixed margin and sends the whole specimen for delayed histology; you learn about margins days later. In Mohs, thin layers are taken, mapped to the patient, and read at the microscope by the surgeon that day. Further layers are only taken where tumour remains. The result is 100% margin assessment, higher cure rates and the smallest possible defect.

  • How long will Mohs take?

    Plan for 3–6 hours. Excision is quick; the waits between stages while the frozen sections are processed and read take time. Most tumours clear in 1–2 stages, but around 10% need three or more.

  • Will I be awake?

    Yes. Mohs is done under local anaesthetic. You will feel the initial injection then very little else. You can read, listen to music, or eat between stages.

  • When will the wound be closed?

    Almost always the same day, once margins are clear. Occasionally, a large defect on the nose or eyelid is reconstructed the next morning under sedation with a specialist partner.

  • How good are the cure rates?

    For primary BCC on the face, Mohs offers around 99% five-year cure versus about 90% for standard excision. For recurrent BCC the gap widens - 94% vs 60–70%. For SCC, Mohs offers around 97% vs 92%.

  • How much does private Mohs surgery cost in the UK?

    Roughly £2,800–£4,500 for a single stage with primary closure, £3,500–£6,500 for 1–3 stages with a local flap, £5,500–£9,500 for complex multi-stage cases with grafts, and £6,500–£12,000 for combined Mohs and oculoplastic work. Each additional Mohs stage is £450–£800.

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