Procedure Guidelines

PREPARING FOR SURGERY 

 

 

Stop smoking
Smoking is one of the biggest predicted causes of post-operative complications. Smokers are more prone to wound breakdowns and generally heal slower than non-smokers. Stop smoking for 4-6 weeks prior to surgery but if you are not able to do this, even stopping smoking up to 48 hours prior to surgery is helpful.

 

Discuss medications
Prior to surgery, discuss all your regular mediation with your doctor. Certain medications, such as aspirin or ibuprofen can interfere with blood clotting and cause post-operative bleeding.

 

Prepare for recovery time
We generally ask you to rest post-operatively for at least a week or two to allow your wound to heal as well and as quickly as possible. We will ask you to avoid strenuous exercise, and if a wound is on a lower leg we will advise you to avoid prolonged standing/walking/running/cycling and to keep the leg raised as much as possible. Similarly, if the wound is on your arm/chest/back/other body part, we will ask you to avoid doing activity that may stretch the tissue in that area or get the wound dirty.

 

Take care of necessary errands or maintenance beforehand
Please avoid activity that will get a wound dirty like gardening or vehicle maintenance and heavy lifting. Ensure you have prepared a cozy space to recover in after surgery. Make sure you have filled all of your prescriptions beforehand and have simple analgesia at hand and you have been grocery shopping.

 

Be vigilant about illness on the day of surgery
If you don’t feel well in any way on the day of surgery please advise us as soon as possible so that we can make appropriate alternate arrangements. Illness prior to surgery may delay your recovery.

 

ON THE DAY OF SURGERY

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Shower and wash your hair
On the night before or morning of your surgery you should wash with chlorhexidine soap. This is easily available from a pharmacy and may be called Phisohex or Microshield. You can ask your pharmacist for any other brand. Clean hair and skin will reduce post-operative infection and aid in healing. You may also not be able to shower and/or wash your hair for several days post-operatively so being clean beforehand will be helpful.

 

Clothing
Wear comfortable, loose fitting clothing on the day of surgery that can be easily adjusted and removed for surgery. We will be grateful if you are able to remove any non essential jewelry prior to surgery.

 

Makeup and other products
Please avoid wearing makeup and creams and lotions on the day of surgery to reduce bacterial contamination and reduce the risk of postoperative infection.

 

 

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AFTER SURGERY

Recovering from surgery is a journey and it does not happen overnight. It is also a partnership. We can only give you well researched advice, but it is up to you to follow it to really give yourself the best post operative outcome.

 

Dressings
It is very important to adhere strictly  to your post operative dressing advice. Generally you will be asked to keep the wound dry for at least a week until you see your doctor. When having a shower, you may use a waterproof dressing. You may be asked to wear a compression stocking over the dressing or keep your leg or arm raised.

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After the dressing is removed and the sutures are removed you will be asked to keep your wound taped with surgical tape for a period of time or use a silicone postoperative ointment. This is to improve your surgical scar and it is important to follow this advice to get optimal results. We will ask you to do this for three months, and keep out of the sun. If you’d like to wear makeup, we request that you apply stratamed first, let it dry and then apply makeup over the top. We still recommend that you tape the wound every night for the duration of the three months.

 

Don’t smoke
For as long as you can after your surgery. It is especially important not to smoke in the first 1-2 wks after surgery to improve your wound healing and recovery time.

 

Avoid excessive alcohol consumption
This is especially important in the 1-2 weeks after surgery

 

Avoid strenuous physical activity
Any activity that may put pressure or tension on your inflamed recovering tissue. Rest as much as possible.

 

Avoid doing any activity that may get your wound dirty or sweaty
Please avoid strenuous exercise for 2 weeks postoperatively, including gardening, etc. 

 

Drink plenty of water
Avoid becoming dehydrated. Eat nutritious meals that allow your body to get the right nutrients it needs for your wound to recover quickly.

 

Take simple analgesia
Panadol, as needed, to stay comfortable.

 

Please avoid excessive sunlight
This will slow wound healing and may cause hyperpigmentation of your tissue.

 

Come in regularly for your post operative reviews and for suture removals

 

We at Medical Skin and Laser want to ensure that you are being looked after post-surgery. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us at our clinic here on either (08) 6336 0129 / (08) 6336 0120 or alternatively you can email us at contact@medicalskinandlaser.com and we will get back to your needs as soon as possible.
 

 

WHEN TO CALL

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• Spiking a temperature post operatively 

• Excessive redness or discharge from your wound

• Dramatic increase in swelling or pain post operatively

• If you are experiencing any type of distress and need any questions answered from your selected Doctor or Nurse with a telehealth appointment
   

 

SCAR TREATMENT

We have many ways of managing your scar optimally besides surgical taping and silicone ointment. Please discuss scar management with us. We have access to red light, blue light, laser, steroid injection, to name a few options.

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