Barbara the MOHS surgery is usually used on the face for minimal scarring. The doctor removes a thin slice of tissue, it is prepared for a slide which takes about an hour and checked for the carcinoma this is repeated until their are no cancer cells found. It can be a lengthy process but minimally evasive. The extraction is just a fancy term for slice and dice. They will cut out the area on my back. Removing a generous area and not worrying about scarring