Wound Care Instructions

Wound Care

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**If you are given antibiotics, please begin taking them the day of the surgery**

For wounds healing with stitches:

1. Leave dressing on until you shower tomorrow. Remove dressing tomorrow morning & shower.
2. You may get the wound wet in the shower.
3. While in the shower, gently clean with soap, taking care to gently remove any dried blood or scab around the sutures.
4. When out of the shower, pat dry.
5. Remove any excess dried blood with peroxide. Only use hydrogen peroxide for two days.
6. DO NOT LET A SCAB FORM.
7. Apply Vaseline/Aquaphor to the wound.
8. Cut a non-stick pad to the size of wound. Lay pad on wound and tape into place. If wound is small, you may cover it with a bandaid. If wound has some extra drainage, apply gauze over the non-stick pad.
9. The most important point is to get all the dried blood off as soon as possible. This will give you the best (least significant) scar.

For wounds healing without stitches:

1. Leave dressing on until you shower tomorrow. Remove dressing tomorrow morning & shower.
2. You may get the wound wet in the shower.
3. While in the shower, gently clean with soap, gently remove any dried blood or scab.
4. When out of the shower, pat dry.
5. DO NOT LET A SCAB FORM.
6. Apply the provided calcium alginate (felt-like material) directly to the wound followed by a non-stick pad and tape. Shower daily and rinse wound with water, but do not attempt to remove all traces of calcium alginate. Apply new calcium alginate after showering for 4-7 days.
7. When calcium alginate is gone apply Vaseline/Aquaphor and cover the wound with non-stick pad and tape until it is healed.

For Skin Graft sites:

1. Follow wound care instructions above for SOURCE site (place where skin was taken for graft).
2. To care for SKIN GRAFT site - gently cleanse area surrounding graft. Keep actual skin graft site DRY.

What to expect (with or without stitches):

1. Intermittent mild bleeding from the wound for 2-3 days. If the dressing becomes soaked, apply continuous pressure directly on the wound with additional gauze for 20 minutes. Repeat twice if bleeding has not stopped. (If you do not have stitches and received calcium alginate from the office, apply calcium alginate directly to bleeding wound followed by gauze and tape until bleeding stops.)
2. Mild swelling and discoloration around the wound and the adjacent areas. It is normal to have a rim of redness around a healing wound.
3. Mild to moderate pressure or pain for several weeks.
4. Possible numbness in the area of surgery for several weeks.

Call the office if:

1. Bleeding is excessive / severe. If bleeding is continuous or is pulsing - notify us immediately.
2. You notice signs of infection: increased pain, fever, or chills. It is normal for there to be some redness around the wound – call only if redness significantly intensifies.
3. Severe pain not controlled with prescribed analgesics.