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Mohs surgery: is it available in India? | CION Cancer Clinics
Mohs surgery is available in India, but only at a small number of centres, mostly in large cities. It removes a skin cancer one thin layer at a time, checking every edge under the microscope the same day. It is used mainly for basal cell and some squamous cell cancers on the face. This page explains how it works, who it suits, what drives the cost, and what to ask. CION Cancer Clinics’ surgical oncologists in Hyderabad can talk this through with you.
MI
Medically reviewed by Dr. Mohammed ImaduddinConsultant Surgical Oncologist · MBBS, MS (General Surgery), MCh (Surgical Oncology) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
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On this page
- Is Mohs surgery available in India?
- What happens during Mohs surgery?
- Who is Mohs usually considered for, and who is it not for?
- How does Mohs compare with a wide local excision?
- What does Mohs surgery cost in India?
- What do families often get wrong about Mohs?
- Common questions about Mohs surgery in India
The short answer
Is Mohs surgery available in India?
Yes, but only at a small number of centres, mostly in the larger cities. Mohs surgery needs a surgeon trained in the method and a laboratory that can prepare and read tissue on the same day, so it is far less widely offered than an ordinary wide local excision.
What makes Mohs different
In a standard wide excision, the surgeon removes the cancer with a planned rim of normal skin around it. That rim is called the margin. The tissue goes to the laboratory, and the result comes back days later. In Mohs surgery, the surgeon removes a thin layer, checks its whole edge under the microscope while you wait, and only removes more skin where cancer cells are still seen. The process repeats until the edges are clear.
Why families search for it
Most people hear about Mohs when a skin cancer sits on the face, near the eye, nose, lips or ear. There, every millimetre of skin matters for how the face looks and works. Mohs aims to keep as much healthy skin as possible while still checking that the cancer is fully out.
Whether Mohs is right for you is a decision for your treating team. This page explains the method and what to ask. It cannot tell you which operation you should have.On the day
What happens during Mohs surgery?
Numbing the area
Mohs is almost always done under a local anaesthetic. You stay awake. The injection stings for a moment, and then the area goes numb. Most people eat and talk normally between stages.
The first thin layer
The surgeon removes the visible cancer with a very narrow rim of skin. The piece is marked, like a map, so the team knows exactly which edge is which. A dressing goes on while you wait.
Checking the edges
The tissue is frozen, sliced and stained in the laboratory next door. The surgeon reads the whole outer edge under the microscope. This waiting stage is usually the longest part of the day.
More layers, or closing
If cancer cells are still seen at one edge, only that area is removed again. When every edge is clear, the wound is closed with stitches, a skin graft or a flap, or left to heal on its own.
Who it suits
Who is Mohs usually considered for, and who is it not for?
Mohs is a tool for particular skin cancers in particular places. It is not a better version of every skin operation.
Where it is most often used
Basal cell cancer and some squamous cell cancers of the skin, especially on the face, where saving healthy skin matters most.
Often raised for
- Cancers near the eye, nose, lip or ear
- Cancers with an unclear edge
- A skin cancer that has come back after earlier treatment
Where it is usually not used
Most melanomas are treated with a wide local excision with set margins, not with standard Mohs. Soft tissue sarcomas, which grow in muscle and fat, need a different operation altogether.
When it may not be practical
A very large or deep cancer, one that has spread to the lymph nodes, or a cancer on the trunk or limbs where skin is less limited, is often better handled by standard surgery, sometimes under general anaesthesia.
When your health is a factor
Mohs can take most of a day of sitting and waiting. Someone who is very frail, cannot lie still, or takes blood thinners may need a different plan. Never stop a blood thinner on your own.
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Side by side
How does Mohs compare with a wide local excision?
Mohs surgery
Wide local excision
Edges checked while you wait, layer by layer
Edges checked after the operation, result in some days
Takes a narrow rim, then more only where needed
Takes a planned margin all the way around
Usually a long day under local anaesthetic
Often shorter, under local or general anaesthesia
Offered at few centres in India
Offered at most surgical cancer centres
If an edge is involved, more is removed the same day
If an edge is involved, a second operation may be needed
What it costs
What does Mohs surgery cost in India?
There is no single price, and we do not publish a figure for Mohs, because charges vary a great deal between centres and between patients. Ask any centre you are considering for a written estimate before the day.
What moves the figure
The number of layers needed is the biggest unknown, and nobody can tell you that in advance. Each extra layer adds laboratory and surgeon time. How the wound is closed matters too: a few stitches cost less than a skin graft or a flap. The size and site of the cancer, the pathology charges, dressings, and any follow-up visits all add to the bill.
Schemes and insurance
Aarogyasri, CGHS, ECHS and EHS cover many cancer operations, and most cashless insurers cover surgery for skin cancer. Cover for Mohs as a named procedure varies, so check with your insurer or scheme office before you book. What you pay out of pocket can be very different from the listed charge.
Questions to ask the centre
Who does the surgery, and who reads the slides? Is the laboratory on site? What happens, and what is charged, if more layers are needed than expected? Who closes the wound?
Any estimate you are given is indicative, not a final bill.Commonly believed
What do families often get wrong about Mohs?
"If Mohs is not available here, we must travel for it."
Not always. For many skin cancers, a wide local excision with careful checking of the edges is the standard treatment. Ask your surgeon whether Mohs would change anything for your cancer before planning a long journey and a costly stay.
"Mohs leaves no scar."
Every operation that cuts the skin leaves a scar. Mohs tries to keep the wound as small as it safely can be, but the final size depends on how far the cancer spread under the surface, which nobody can see beforehand.
"Mohs is the right choice for any skin cancer."
It is used mainly for basal cell and some squamous cell cancers in sensitive places. Most melanomas and all sarcomas need a different approach. A method that suits one cancer can be the wrong choice for another.
"A clear Mohs result means the cancer can never return."
Clear edges lower the chance of the cancer growing back in the same spot, but it is not a promise. You still need skin checks afterwards, and new skin cancers can appear elsewhere.
Did you know
Some centres offer a similar idea called a staged excision. The edges are checked in the usual laboratory over a few days instead of the same day, and the wound is closed once they are clear. Ask whether this is an option where you are.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about Mohs surgery in India
Does CION offer Mohs surgery?
Ask the helpline what is available at the centre you are considering. Our surgical oncologists can look at your biopsy report and explain whether Mohs, a wide local excision or another approach is usually considered for a cancer like yours. They can also tell you what questions to ask if you are referred elsewhere.
How long does Mohs surgery take?
Plan for most of a day at the centre. Removing each layer is quick, but preparing and reading the tissue takes time, and you wait between stages. Nobody can say in advance how many layers will be needed. Bring something to eat, a family member, and any medicines you take through the day.
Will it hurt?
The numbing injection stings briefly. After that, most people feel pressure but not sharp pain. The wound can ache once the numbness wears off that evening. Your team will tell you which pain medicine to take. Tell them if the pain gets worse over the next few days instead of better.
Is Mohs used for melanoma?
Usually not in its standard form. Most melanomas are treated with a wide local excision using margins set by how deep the melanoma grew. Some specialist centres use adapted methods for certain early melanomas on the face. If your report says melanoma, ask your surgeon which approach they recommend and why.
Can Mohs be done on an elderly parent?
Often, because it uses a local anaesthetic and does not need a hospital stay. The long wait between stages can be tiring, though. Tell the team about heart problems, diabetes, blood thinners and memory problems. They will weigh these before suggesting Mohs or a shorter operation.
What if the edges are still not clear at the end of the day?
Sometimes the cancer runs deeper or wider than expected, and continuing that day is not sensible. The team may dress the wound and plan another session, a bigger operation, or a discussion with other specialists. They should explain why, and what the next step involves, before you leave.
Is Mohs covered by Aarogyasri or insurance?
Cover depends on your scheme or policy and on how the centre bills the procedure. Aarogyasri, CGHS, ECHS and EHS cover many skin cancer operations, and most cashless insurers cover surgery for cancer. Ask the centre and your insurer before the day, and get the answer in writing if you can.
What should I bring to the first appointment?
Bring the biopsy report, any photos of the spot taken over time, a list of every medicine you take, and details of earlier treatment to the same area. If the cancer has been treated before, the old report matters. Bring a family member who can help you remember what was said.
What moves the figure
What affects the cost
Four things change the total more than anything else.
The technique used
A shaped or image-guided delivery costs more than a conventional one, and is chosen on clinical grounds rather than preference.
How many sessions
The total is driven by the number of sittings or cycles, not by a single per-visit figure.
Supporting tests
Scans, blood work and pathology done alongside treatment are billed separately.
Your cover
Aarogyasri, CGHS, ECHS, EHS or cashless insurance usually change the out-of-pocket figure substantially.
Paying for it
Insurance, schemes and payment
What you actually pay usually differs a great deal from the sticker figure.
AarogyasriEmpanelled. Bring the card and a referral where you have one.
CGHS / ECHS / EHSAccepted at CION centres for eligible treatment.
Cashless insuranceMost major insurers are empanelled. Pre-authorisation is handled by our desk.
Self-payItemised estimate given before treatment starts. No EMI scheme exists.
Accreditation and empanelment
- NABH
- NABL
- ISO 9001:2015
- ArogyaSri empanelled
- CGHS accepted
- ECHS accepted
- EHS accepted
- Major cashless insurers
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Dr. Vinay Mamidala
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Where to find us
Our centres in and around Hyderabad
Addressed by landmark, because that is how this city navigates. A surgical consultation can be booked at any of these centres through one helpline, and your team will tell you where the operation itself takes place.
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Sources
- American Cancer Society — Surgery for Basal and Squamous Cell Skin Cancers
- National Cancer Institute — Skin Cancer Treatment (PDQ) - Patient Version
- NHS — Non-melanoma skin cancer: treatment
- Cancer Research UK — Skin cancer
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
Keep reading
Related pages
Wide Excision for Skin CancersThe standard operation most skin cancers are treated withWide Excision on the Face: Cosmetic OutcomeWhat to expect when the cancer sits on the faceWide Local Excision Cost in HyderabadIndicative ranges for the standard operationCost, Insurance and Schemes for Cancer SurgeryHow Aarogyasri, CGHS and insurance apply to surgery
Talk to us
Told about Mohs and not sure what to do?
Send us the biopsy report or call the helpline. A surgical oncologist will explain which operations are usually considered for a cancer like yours and what to ask. One helpline serves every CION centre.