Mount Pleasant Magazine Jan/Feb 2018

221 www.MPMcalendar.com | www.BestOfMP.com | www.MountPleasantMagazine.com feature Dr. Coakley, a board-certified expert in surgical and cosmetic dermatology, joined the DLCC team in August 2017 and is also fellowship-trained in Mohs surgery. “Some skin cancers appear small on the surface of the skin but actually enlarge as they go deeper,” Dr. Coakley said. “Tumors have roots just like a tree, and this procedure allows us to examine 100 percent of the tissue edge to ensure that those roots are completely removed.” Because Mohs surgery involves a systematic microscopic search that traces skin cancer, “it offers the highest chance for cure while sparing the surrounding normal tissues,” Dr. Coakley explained. Studies performed around the world have repeatedly demonstrated that Mohs surgery has a 99-percent, five- year cure rate for new skin cancers and a 95-percent rate for recurrent cancers. “When we remove the cancer, we immediately check it in our on-site lab. Then we go back, if necessary, take a little more only where needed and check it again,” Dr. Coakley said. “That way, we don’t take too much. Other surgeons without Mohs training have to guess about the breadth and depth of tumor roots, so they end up removing additional healthy skin and therefore making bigger scars. Because we have the results in real time, we can remove tumors and leave smaller scars. Having a doctor who is both the surgeon and the microscopic pathologist makes a real difference.” With an alarming rise in skin cancer over the last 20 years, one in five Americans will develop a basal or squamous cell carcinoma in their lifetime and one in 75 will develop a melanoma. Though 1 million people a year will develop a new skin cancer, Mohs surgery offers a highly successful and more cost-effective treatment. “Mohs is safer, leaves a smaller scar, has a higher cure rate and costs a third less than the traditional approach in a hospital or surgical center,” Dr. Coakley added. Dr. Brandon Coakley VIBRA HOSPITAL OF CHARLESTON 1200 Hospital Dr., Mt Pleasant, SC 29464 843.375.4000 www.vhcharleston.com LONG TERM ACUTE CARE The average hospital is not designed to handle the demands of patients requiring long term acute care. That's why VIBRA HOSPITAL OF CHARLESTON is special. Our many services are focused on improving the lives and medical conditions of patients who need more acute care for their recovery or who are not yet ready to be transferred to a lower level of care, such as a skilled nursing facility or other sub-acute facility. Inpatient Services Specialty Services Pulmonary Care Complex Wound Care Dialysis ICU & Special Care Units IV Antibiotic Therapy Rehabilitation Services Pain Management Subacute Unit And more... For more information on Mohs surgery or other medical and cosmetic services offered by Dermatology & Laser Center of Charleston, visit www.dermandlaser.com . ask the experts