Thanks to a donation by the Israeli businessman and philanthropist Morris Kahn, a major supporter of the Israeli moon spacecraft “Beresheet,” Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem has just opened the new Center for Dermatologic Surgery, which offers Mohs surgery for patients with common types of skin cancer. 

Named for the doctor who developed the procedure, Mohs is microscopically controlled surgery that allows for precise removal of the cancerous tissue while healthy tissue is spared. According to Prof. Abraham Zlotogorski, director of the Dermatology Department at Hadassah, the method offers the highest degree of healing and cosmetic results. 

The most common skin cancers are basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, common in men and women over the age of 50. Skin cancer usually appears as a wound that doesn’t heal or becomes infected, or as a lesion that grows gradually and spreads. Two types of surgery are used to remove those skin tumors: conventional surgery and Mohs treatment.

In the first, the surgeon excises the tumor with excess tissue around it to try to ensure that the tumor has been removed in its entirety, explains Zlotogorski. “It is then sent for pathological examination, a process that can take several weeks. If the tumor isn’t fully removed, the surgery will be repeated, removing the extra skin around. This can result in suffering and significant aesthetic damage. In Mohs, the surgeon removes the lesion only, without removing excess tissue, and sends the lesion to the lab next to the operating room for processing, which takes only a few minutes. Although the Mohs procedure takes more time than normal surgery, the surgeon avoids cutting healthy tissue, resulting in a better aesthetic outcome and reducing the risk of recurrence and the need for repeat surgery for the same area.”

The team of physicians using the Mohs technique at Hadassah includes two plastic surgeons and three dermatologists. A team of nurses and a technician process and prepare the sample for pathology. 

According to Hadassah Medical Organization Director General Prof. Zeev Rotstein, Morris Kahn’s contribution to the Jewish people has no boundaries, and it extends over many areas, including science, medicine, and education. We at Hadassah are grateful to him for his work on behalf of the patients and for his generous gift. Thanks to him, we will be able to provide better service to those treated by Hadassah specialists in the field of dermatology.”