Impact of the COVID Pandemic on Mohs Micrographic Surgery: A Nationwide Survey.

BACKGROUND: At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many Mohs micrographic surgeries (MMS) were delayed over concerns for propagating further infectious spread and scarcity of medical resources. OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of the pandemic on MMS and the treatment of skin cancer Methods and Materials: An electronic survey was sent to fellowship trained Mohs surgeons to assess patient outcomes, practice viability, and physician sentiment related to performing MMS during the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: Of the 303 respondents, 82% reported declines in case volume for at least 3 months, and average case difficulty increased for 69% of surgeons following these delays. Instances of local tumor spread following delays were seen by 69% of respondents, and 20% noted cases of regional or systemic metastasis. Only 8 cases of staff testing positive (and 7 cases of patients) were reported, and 97% of respondents felt comfortable performing MMS during the pandemic. Private practice surgeons more often viewed practice restriction recommendations negatively initially (42% vs 26% in academics, P=0.03) and in hindsight (63% vs 36% in academics, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Mohs surgeon’s ability to minimize spread of COVID-19 during routine patient care, alongside potential risks of delaying treatment of skin cancers, should be considered in future recommendations for patient care. J Drugs Dermatol. 2022;21(5):545-547. doi:10.36849/JDD.6189.