Four Dermatology Specialists’ Doctors Become Among The First In The Nation To Achieve Certification In Micrographic Dermatologic Surgery

December 2021 – Dermatology Specialists of Alabama, Florida, Georgia & Mississippi dermatologists Jon Ward, MD, Michael Stickler, MD, Josh Hammel, MD and USAF Major Lisa Chastant, MD have all passed the American Board of Dermatology’s 2021 Micrographic Dermatologic Surgery Subspecialty Certification Examination making them among the first in the nation to be double board-certified in dermatology and Mohs micrographic surgery.

Drs. Ward, Stickler, Hammel and Chastant have performed, combined, over 40,000 Mohs micrographic surgeries to successfully treat skin cancer in patients under their care. They are proud to have earned a certification in this subspecialty demonstrating a high standard of knowledge and skill in Micrographic Dermatologic Surgery, along with their dedication to life-long learning in the field.

Mohs surgery, named for Frederick E. Mohs, the surgeon who developed the technique, is a highly specialized surgery for treating skin cancer. Since its development, Mohs surgery has been refined into the most precise and advanced treatment for skin cancer, yielding success rates up to 99 percent. Today, Mohs surgery has come to be accepted as the single most effective technique for removing Basal Cell Carcinomas and Squamous Cell Carcinomas (BCCs and SCCs), the two most common skin cancers. Mohs surgery is so effective because 100 percent of the surgical margins are evaluated, compared with less than 5 percent by traditional techniques.

Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States. When detected and treated early, skin cancer is highly curable. That’s one reason Dr. Ward, Dr. Stickler and Dr. Hammel encourage patients to get their skin checked by a board-certified dermatologist at least annually. If a skin cancer is found and Mohs micrographic surgery is recommended, they also encourage you to find a boardcertified Mohs surgeon for treatment.