Nail surgery among Mohs surgeons: prevalence, safety, and practice patterns.
BACKGROUND
Among US dermatologists, Mohs surgeons perform most of the nail surgeries. The specific practice patterns and safety precautions have not been formally studied.


OBJECTIVE
To study the practice patterns, safety precautions, and complications of this group when performing nail surgery.


METHODS
A survey was sent electronically to all members of the American College of Mohs Surgery Listserv. The survey evaluated the demographics of the surgeons, the types of surgery performed, the techniques for obtaining a bloodless field, and complications.


RESULTS
Those surgeons who performed more procedures in training tended to continue that practice and performed more surgeries when in practice, as did surgeons with greater time since completing fellowship. Complications were rare.


CONCLUSIONS
The data herein support that nail surgeries performed by Mohs surgeons are safe, with minimal complications, despite a broad range of approaches to obtaining a bloodless field and with a variety of procedures performed.
*Dermatology Professionals, Inc., East Greenwich, Rhodes Island; †Department of Dermatology, The Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University, Providence, Rhodes Island; ‡Division of Dermatology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts.
Alyssa
A
Findley
Kachiu
K
Lee
Nathaniel J
NJ
Jellinek
D000772:Anesthesia, Local / Q000379:methods; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D015580:Mohs Surgery / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009262:Nails / Q000601:surgery*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D004837:Epinephrine