Washington, D.C. -  U.S. Rep. Tim Johnson returned to the Capitol for votes this afternoon after routine surgery to remove a skin cancer on the underside of his upper left arm.

The outpatient surgery was conducted this morning by Dr. Charles Toner at Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland.

Dr. Toner, head of dermatology at Bethesda and a commander in the Navy, described the procedure as Mohs surgery, a highly specialized treatment for the total removal of skin cancer. Where the cancer has been previously untreated, the percentage of cure is up to 99 percent.

“If you’re going to have skin cancer, this is the kind to have,” Dr Toner said. “We got 100 percent of the cancer and expect no complications.”

Rep. Johnson also had a benign cyst removed from above his right eye.

The skin cancer surgical procedure is begun after the skin is injected with local anesthetic to completely numb the area. Then the visible cancer and a very thin layer of skin are removed from that location. The method differs from other skin cancer surgery by the use of complete microscopic examination of all the tissues removed surgically as well as detailed mapping techniques to allow the surgeon to remove every cancer cell.

“I want everyone to know I’m fine and healthy, that I appreciate all the expressions of concerns and that I have resumed all the duties of office with only a minor disruption of outpatient surgery this morning,” Rep. Johnson said.

Rep. Johnson returned to the office immediately after surgery.

###