Home Care Instructions for Sutured Woulds

1. After surgery, go home and take it easy, (No exertion, lifting, bending or straining for 7 days.)
2. Do not drink any alcoholic beverages or take any aspirin or aspirin related products (such as Advil, Motrin, ibuprofen, etc) for 24 hours unless instructed otherwise by another physician. If you require medication to control your discomfort, take only Tylenol. Avoid smoking and all tobacco products (anything containing nicotine), for at least 7 days post operatively. Use of tobacco products starves the healing wound of nutrients, and will almost guanantee failure of the reconstructive procedure.
3. Please re-start all blood thinners (aspirin, coumadin, plavix, etc) the day after surgery, or when instructed by the physician who prescribed them.
4. After 48 hours, you may remove the top bulky bandage, apply aquaphor or vaseline (petroleum jelly) on the wound and a bandaid once a day until the sutures are removed.
5. Do not get the dressing wet for the first 48 hours. After 48 hours, you may shower/bathe, wash around the would carefully. Avoid rubbing or scrubbing the wound.
6. Do not do any heavy lifting or exercising until the sutures are removed.

Special Instructions For Sutured Facial Wounds

1. While sleeping, keep your head elevated for the first two nights. Do not sleep lying down flat for the first 48 hours, but rather sleep sitting propped up on pillows or in a lounge chair. Do not sleep on the same side of the body as the wound.
2. Do not bend over with your head lower than the level of your heart. Bend at the knees to stoop down. Be careful not to lift anything heavy or do anything that may cause strain on the sutures, such as biting into large pieces of food or extreme facial expressions. Be careful when sneezing or coughing — try to do so as softly as possible, and apply gentle cpunter pressure on the dressing while doing so.
        Eat soft foods or finely cut foods during the first week. If your cancer was in or around your lips, eat only pureed foods and liquids for the first week. If your cancer was in or around your nose, do not blow or pick your nose for the first week.
3. It is perfectly normal to have bruising, swelling, or discoloration around the surgery site, especially if the would is around the eye area. Do not be alarmed by this; it will eventually fade and return to normal color.

In Case of Emergency: During regular office hours, call 817-489-6917 to speak to a nurse directly.

After hours and on weekends, or if you are unable to reach anyone at the above number, call your Doctor's cell phone at 817-507-9100 (Dr. Marra). Please note, this number is not designed to receive text messages. In the event of a life-threatening emergency, please call 911.

FAQs

Is Swelling Normal?

Yes, you may experience some severe swelling and bruising which may peak within 48 hours after surgery. Swelling will almost always occur if there is surgery around the eye or forehead area. The severity of swelling is dependent on the surgical location and the extent of the surgery. Any swelling which may arise will generally subside within 4-10 days.

Is Yellowish Discharge and oozing from the wound normal?

Yes, as long as it is NOT accompanied by severe redness or burning/painful sensations and it is not painful to the touch. Please call our office @ 817-924-5200 or your doctor's cell phone after hours if you experience any of the symptoms mentioned above.

Is bleeding normal after surgery?

Yes, you may experience some bleeding and oozing. If there is slight oozing or bleeding, apply firm, direct pressure for 20 minutes. If you bandage is bloody, make sure you remove it first and use fresh gause to hold pressure. You should apply pressure for 20 minutes continuously, without stopping to "look" before the 20 minutes are up. If you are unable to control the bleeding, please call our office at 817-924-5200, or your doctor's cell phone after hours at 817-507-9100 (Dr. Marra)

May I use Neosporin or Polysporin as an antibiotic ointment?

We do not recommend Neosporin or Polysporin due to some patient's allergic reactions. We do recommend Aquaphor (best) or Vaseline (petroleum jelly) to be used instead. *** Helpful Hints: Continual application of Aquaphor will promote the wound to heal faster.

What kind of Band-Aid or Bandages should I use?

Please use any bandage or band-aids you prefer, but make sure that it is non-stick variety to prevent it from sticking to the would. Telfa pads are commonly available non-stick dressings.

How long doo I have to dress the wound?

This depends on the type of skin repair (graft, sutures, or natural healing). Please refer to your post-op care would sheet. If you have any additional questings, please call our office at 817-924-5200.

Is tightness normal?

Yes, You may experience a sensation of furmness and tightness as your would heals. This is normal and will gradually subside. If you massage the site (starting 4 weeks after your surgery) using Aquaphor, you can speed up the process of softening of the tissue. It may take up to 6-12 months before the tissue has completely softened up.

Is numbness normal?

Yes. You may experience numbness, which may take up to a year before the feeling returns. Uncommonly, depending on the size of the cancer, you may have permanent numbness. Healed wounds can also be sensitive to sensations of burning, prickling, or hypersensitivity to temperature changes (such as cold air). This too should improve with time.