Post Operative Care Unsutured Wounds
- Leave the dressing on for 24 hours. Keep it dry.
- After 24 hours remove the dressing, gently cleanse the wound with soap and water, apply Vaseline ointment and redress the wound with a non-stick bandage and paper tape or Band-Aid type dressing. Dr. Darst recommends not using Neosporin or double/triple antibiotic ointment or cream. Do this once or twice a day until healed. Drainage is normal until completely healed. It is important that you do not let a scab form.
- You may have some discomfort for which you may take a non-aspirin pain reliever such as Tylenol.
- If any bleeding occurs, apply firm pressure on the wound for 10-15 minutes. Constant pressure is necessary, no lifting to see if the bleeding has stopped. Repeat the 10-15 minutes of pressure if needed. If bleeding persists, call the office.
- After 3 weeks or so (sooner on the face, longer on the legs) the area should be healed leaving shiny pink skin. This will slowly pale so that the final cosmetic result may not be apparent for several months.
If you have any problems or questions about your postoperative wound care, do not hesitate to call the office at 704-321-3376 for assistance.
