After Surgery Wound Care Instructions (unless otherwise instructed at the time of surgery)

Supplies

You will need to have Q-tips or cotton balls, Vaseline or Aquaphor (unless a substitute antibiotic ointment is given), and an appropriate-sized bandage.

Dressing needs to be kept dry for 24 hours. Afterwards, remove all bandaging to expose sutures. The wound may then get wet in the shower and may be gently patted dry. No scrubbing. You may let soap and water run over the surgery site.
You may use Q-tips or cotton balls to remove all crusted material that comes off easily.
Dry the area and apply a liberal amount of Vaseline or Aquaphor twice daily.
Cover your wound with an appropriate-sized bandage. You may need to trim a larger bandage to fit.
Continue wound care until sutures are removed.

Unless your doctor states otherwise or gives you a prescription for pain medication, take Tylenol for pain as needed. Avoid Motrin, Aleve, and Ibuprofen as these have blood-thinning properties and may cause bleeding.
Avoid activity that causes swelling. Swelling can cause significant pain.
Use an ice pack numerous times over the first 48 hours. Apply an ice pack for 20 minutes at a time, with approximately 2 hours between sessions. (Hint: Frozen peas in a zip lock bag work very nicely.)

After surgery, go home and take it easy (no exertion, lifting, bending, or straining). Exertional activity may cause pain, bleeding, infection, and a poor cosmetic outcome.
Do not do any heavy lifting or work out exercising for at least: [ ] 1 week [ ] 10 days [ ] 2 weeks
Do not submerge wound area in any type of dirty water (i.e.: no lakes, pools, oceans, or hot tubs).

Keep your head elevated above your heart while resting and sleeping.
It is normal to have bruising or discoloration around or below the surgery site, especially around the eyes. Do not be alarmed; this will fade with time.

Bleeding that saturates your dressing (spotting on the dressing is expected). To stop bleeding, hold direct pressure over the dressing for 20 minutes with gauze or a thin towel. Do not remove the dressing. The pressure must be constant for 20 minutes – do not remove pressure to check if the bleeding has stopped for a full 20 minutes.
Temperature greater than 100°F, severe nausea or vomiting, severe pain not relieved with Tylenol and ice packs.
Signs of infection (i.e.: worsening redness, swelling, foul-smelling drainage, pain or heat).

After Mohs Micrographic Surgery