Activity Restrictions
On the day of your surgery
- Rest and relax for the remainder of the day
- Avoid caffeinated or alcoholic drinks
- Take all of your medications as usual
Until 48 hours (2 days) after your surgery
- Keep surgical site dry. You may sponge bathe the rest of your body
- Two days after your surgery, you may begin to take showers and cleanse wound (avoid
baths)
For 2-3 weeks after your surgery
- Avoid heavy-lifting more than 10lbs and abrupt movements such as bending or stretching
- Avoid submerging the surgery site in water, avoid baths or swimming
Care of Procedure Site
- On ______________________ remove the bandage and start wound care
- Cleanse site with soap & water
- Apply a thin layer of ointment (Vaseline or Aquaphor); do NOT use over the counter antibiotic ointments such as Neosporin or triple antibiotic ointment
- Cover with a bandage
- Repeat wound care once daily until sutures are removed
What to Expect
Pain: mild or moderate pain is normal
- You may apply an icepack over a washcloth to the site for 10 minutes on, 20 minutes off over the bandage.
- If needed, take acetaminophen (Tylenol) for pain. Do NOT take if you have liver disease. Do NOT exceed the dose instructions on the bottle
Bleeding: bruising is normal
- If bleeding occurs after your surgery, apply firm pressure for 20 minutes without lifting. If bleeding continues apply ice with firm pressure for 20 more minutes. If bleeding still continues, please call our office.
Infection: mild redness of wound edges & clear, pink or straw-colored drainage is normal
- If you develop expanding redness, increasing pain, milky drainage, fever or chills, please contact our office
