Surgical
Comprehensive Skin Cancer Treatment in Birmingham
Skin surgery is a core focus of our practice. All of our physicians at Total Dermatology are highly experienced in performing surgical excisions, and our Total Mohs Surgery Center serves as a tertiary referral hub for Mohs micrographic surgery and reconstructive procedures.
Our on-site histopathology laboratory allows for rapid frozen section analysis of skin biopsies and Mohs specimens, ensuring accurate results and timely treatment decisions—often within the same visit.
If your physician diagnoses you with skin cancer, rest assured that there are multiple medical and surgical treatment options available. Your treatment plan will be tailored to the type of cancer, its location, and your individual needs, so you receive the most effective and precise care possible.
Common Surgical Procedures We Offer:
Excisional Surgery
Excisional surgery is one of the most common and effective ways to remove skin cancer. During this procedure, our physicians carefully remove the visible cancer along with a protective margin of surrounding healthy tissue, ensuring any microscopic cancer cells are addressed. The area is then closed with sutures to promote proper healing and minimize scarring.
The removed tissue is sent to a pathologist, who examines it under a microscope to confirm that all cancer cells have been removed. Once results are finalized, our team contacts you—most often with the confirmation of clear margins.
Excisional surgery offers very high cure rates for low-risk skin cancers and is an excellent treatment option in many cases, particularly for lesions in areas with sufficient surrounding tissue.
Mohs Surgery
Of all skin cancer treatments, Mohs micrographic surgery offers the highest cure rate. This advanced procedure combines precise surgical excision with real-time pathology, allowing our surgeons to remove cancerous tissue layer by layer while preserving as much healthy tissue as possible. The result? Smaller scars, higher cure rates, and complete confirmation of clear margins before the surgical site is repaired.
Unlike traditional excision, Mohs surgery involves mapping and examining each layer of tissue under a microscope while you wait. If microscopic roots of the cancer extend beyond the visible lesion, those exact areas are carefully re-excised. This process repeats until all cancer cells are removed, often allowing the entire cancer removal and wound repair to be completed during the same visit.
At our state-of-the-art surgery center in downtown Birmingham, you’ll receive treatment delivered with both precision and compassion. Our fellowship-trained Mohs surgeons, Dr. Blake Phillips and Dr. Callie Hill, perform thousands of Mohs and reconstructive procedures every year. Both completed residencies in dermatology followed by specialized fellowship training in micrographic surgery, reconstructive surgery, and dermatologic oncology.
Want to learn more about Mohs surgery and meet our surgeons?