POSTOP INSTRUCTIONS – OPEN WOUNDS
 

WOUND CARE

• Your wound will be covered with a bulky bandage called a pressure dressing. This should be left in place and kept dry for 24 hours.
• After 24 hours remove the bulky bandage and begin once daily wound care as follows:
  • Clean the wound and area around the wound with warm soapy water (use a gentle soap like Dove) with a Q tip or gauze pad
  • Rinse thoroughly
  • Dry wound with a Q tip or gauze pad
  • Apply a layer of Vaseline petroleum jelly or Aquaphor to wound
  • Cover the wound with a non-stick gauze pad and paper tape or with a bandaid
• Clean the wound and replace the dressing once a day.
• Shower normally – it is perfectly fine for the wound to get wet in the shower, however, if you do this, after your shower, clean the wound as above and replace the dressing.
• Do not submerge the wound or participate in water activities like swimming until the wound is healed.
• You should NOT leave the wound open to the air and you should NOT allow a scab to form. Contrary to popular belief, this actually impairs wound healing and increases scar formation.
• You should expect quite a bit of swelling and bruising after the surgery. The bruising and swelling will get worse before it gets better. It is generally the worst 2 days after surgery, after which it will start to gradually improve. The bruising should resolve completely in 7-14 days
• Keeping the site elevated will help decrease bruising and swelling. If the site was on your head or neck, this means keeping your head propped up on a few pillows when you sleep. If the site was your arm or leg, this means keeping the arm elevated with a sling or the leg propped up while sitting, and keeping the site propped on pillows when in bed.
• Ice is recommended to minimize bruising and swelling. We recommend applying an ice pack for 15 minutes (you can apply directly over the pressure bandage) every hour that you are awake for the first 1-2 days.

ACTIVITY RESTRICTIONS

• Rest and take it easy for the first 48 hours after surgery.
• Avoid any vigorous activity, heavy lifting, exercise, straining, or anything that gets your blood pressure or heart rate up for the first week after surgery. These activities significantly increase the risk of post-operative bleeding.
• If the site is on your head, avoid bending over where the blood rushes to your head, instead bend at the knees and keep your head up if you have to pick something up.
• Do not drink alcoholic beverages for 48 hours.

BLEEDING

• It is not uncommon for the wound to drain fluid or bleed within the first few hours after surgery.
• If significant bleeding occurs that soaks the dressing or leaks from the dressing, remove the dressing and apply direct pressure to the bleeding site with rolled-up clean gauze or clean cloth. Keep constant pressure on the site for 20 minutes without removing the new dressing (this means no peeking to look at the wound for 20 full minutes).
• Applying an ice pack over the entire area, and over the gauze while holding pressure can also help stop the bleeding.
• If bleeding continues after two 20-minute cycles of applied pressure, call the numbers below or go to the nearest emergency room.

PAIN

• You may begin to feel pain at the surgical site a few hours after surgery, as the anesthetic wears off.
• Pain after surgery is usually well controlled with over-the-counter pain medicine.
• Take Tylenol or extra strength Tylenol as needed for discomfort. Don’t take Motrin, Ibuprofen, Aspirin, or any other blood thinning medications.
• An ice pack to the area for 20 minutes every hour can also be very helpful in controlling pain.
• Postoperative pain should gradually get better, not worse. A significant increase in pain may indicate a problem. Call the office if this occurs.
• In case of emergency or with questions about your wound call the Silver Spring office at 301-681-7000 during regular business hours.

POSTOP INSTRUCTIONS – SUTURED WOUNDS
 

WOUND CARE

• Your wound will be covered with a bulky bandage called a pressure dressing. This should be left in place for 24 hours and kept dry.
• After 24 hours you can remove the bulky bandage. Underneath the bandage, the wound will be covered and protected with little tapes called steri-strips. Do NOT remove the steri-strips. You will leave these steri-strips on until you return for your follow-up visit. We will give you extra strips to apply in case any fall-off before you return.
• You must keep the bandage and wound completely dry for the first 24 hours. After 24 hours, after removing the bulky bandage, the wound can get a little wet in the shower, but do not allow direct water on the wound, and do not allow the area to be submerged in water.
• You should NOT clean the wound with water, soap, or hydrogen peroxide, and do NOT apply petrolatum if steri-strips are in place. You can clean carefully around the steri-strips with a cotton swab or gauze and some gentle soap and water if necessary but do not disrupt the steri-strips.
• You should expect quite a bit of swelling and bruising after the surgery. The bruising and swelling will get worse before it gets better. It is generally the worst 2 days after surgery, after which it will start to gradually improve. The bruising should resolve completely in 7-14 days
• Keeping the site elevated will help decrease bruising and swelling. If the site was on your head or neck, this means keeping your head propped up on a few pillows when you sleep. If the site was your arm or leg, this means keeping the arm elevated with a sling or the leg propped up while sitting, and keeping the site propped on pillows when in bed.
• Ice is recommended to minimize bruising and swelling. We recommend applying an ice pack for 15 minutes (you can apply it directly over the pressure bandage) every hour that you are awake for the first 1-2 days.

ACTIVITY RESTRICTIONS

• Rest and take it easy for the first 48 hours after surgery.
• Avoid any vigorous activity, heavy lifting, exercise, straining, or anything that gets your blood pressure or heart rate up for at least the first week after surgery, while the sutures are in. These activities significantly increase the risk of post-operative bleeding and the risk of the sutures opening up.
• If the site is on your head, avoid bending over where the blood rushes to your head, instead bend at the knees and keep your head up if you have to pick something up.
• Do not drink alcoholic beverages for 48 hours.

BLEEDING

• It is not uncommon for the wound to drain fluid or bleed within the first few hours after surgery.
• If significant bleeding occurs that soaks the dressing or leaks from the dressing, remove the dressing and apply direct pressure to the bleeding site with rolled-up clean gauze or clean cloth. Keep constant pressure on the site for 20 minutes without removing the new dressing (this means no peeking to look at the wound for 20 full minutes).
• Applying an ice pack over the entire area, and over the gauze while holding pressure can also help stop the bleeding.
• If bleeding continues after two 20-minute cycles of applied pressure, call the numbers below or go to the nearest emergency room.

PAIN

• You may begin to feel pain at the surgical site a few hours after surgery, as the anesthetic wears off.
• Pain after surgery is usually well controlled with over-the-counter pain medicine.
• Take Tylenol or extra strength Tylenol as needed for discomfort. Don’t take Motrin, Ibuprofen, Aspirin, or any other blood thinning medications.
• An ice pack to the area for 20 minutes every hour can also be very helpful in controlling pain.
• Postoperative pain should gradually get better, not worse. A significant increase in pain may indicate a problem. Call the office if this occurs.

In case of emergency or with questions about your wound call the Silver Spring office at 301-681-7000 during regular business hours.