Mohs Micrographic Surgery

Mohs micrographic surgery is an advanced method of skin cancer treatment, offering the highest cure rate available and the smallest surgical wound possible. The process involves removing and examining small amounts of the tumor at a time. By mapping the tumor’s growth pattern with a microscope, the Mohs technique avoids unnecessary removal of healthy surrounding tissue, and it allows the surgeon to be confident that the tumor has been completely removed at the time of surgery. This makes same-day surgery possible, and it allows any necessary reconstruction to be done at the time of tumor removal.

At UAB, Mohs micrographic surgery is performed with local anesthesia (numbing injections) in an office setting. Patients are discharged home once surgery is complete; no hospital stay is required.

UAB employs only fellowship-trained Mohs micrographic surgeons who are accredited by the American College of Mohs Surgeons. This ensures that your surgeon is fully qualified as a subspecialist in dermatologic surgery.

For additional information about Mohs micrographic surgery, view our guide: Mohs Micrographic Surgery - Prepping for your Procedure.

Why UAB

UAB Medicine Dermatology is one of the top such programs in the nation for the management of complicated skin disorders. In fact, it is one of only six Skin Diseases Research Centers in the United States as designated and funded by the National Institutes of Health. This interdisciplinary center of excellence in investigative dermatology and cutaneous biology is a rare resource in the Southeast. As part of the O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB, we manage thousands of skin cancer cases each year, treating melanoma, high-risk basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and other rare skin tumors.

UAB Medicine provides the most advanced services and facilities for the care of skin cancer. Our dermatopathologists offer specialized care in both dermatology and pathology, diagnosing a variety of diseases of the skin, hair, and nails. We offer Mohs Micrographic Surgery, which minimizes unsightly treatment damage by targeting only the abnormal tissue of a skin lesion. In addition, our dermatological research program is one of the nation’s largest and most reputable, and it allows many patients to participate in clinical trials and receive treatments not available at most other medical centers.

The O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center located in a four-state area that includes Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas. The center is home to an outstanding faculty of more than 350 physicians and researchers, many of whom are nationally and internationally recognized for their oncology expertise.

From bench to bedside, the O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center is at the forefront of cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment, and researchers have pioneered advances in chemotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy, immunotherapy and nutrition. With its multidisciplinary teams and state-of-the-art technology, the center provides ongoing care to more than 20,000 cancer patients each year.