What you need to know before your Minor Surgery Procedure
General Advice
Shower before:
We advice you have a shower before you come to us (1-2hrs) and cleaning the area to be operated on with water and soap. This will reduce bacteria by 99.99%.
Driving
We generally recommend NOT to be driving to your surgical procedure in all but the most minor procedure. Late fainting can happen and insurance cover may be invalidated.
Marking Up
In case we remove multiple lesions (for example Lipomas or warts) and / or lesions that are a bit inconspicuous it would be helpful if you could mark those with a circle around them. This helps for us not to forget any removals or indeed remove something unwanted.
Rest Afterwards:
Cancel Commitments: After Minor Surgery it is important take it easy for 1-2 days. This means no exercise, no heavy lifting, no DIY, no alcohol etc.
Exercise
It is important for any minor surgical wound that has been sutured not to get stretched too much. The more you stretch the wound the wider and more stretched the scar will look. Keep exercise to a low level for at least 7 days.
Dressing
Most wounds on the body benefit from a dressing, most wounds in the face do not. Where advised, keep the wound covered for at least 48 hours up to 14 days as per instructions by the team. Dressings we use vary depending on requirements.
Bleeding
Should your wound bleed or discharge you need to apply pressure for 30-60 minutes and bleeding should stop. Afterwards you should apply a new dressing. At the earliest opportunity change the dressing. If a back wound is bleeding put on a good bit of gauze or similar and sit against a chair or better lie down on a hard surface to apply pressure for an hour
Shower
SDo not get your wound wet for 24-72 hours depending on the size and depth of the surgery. Let a permanent scab form first. This also reduces infection. Also, when drying wounds that have stitches, ensure you dab them. If you rub them, the stitches are likely to be disloged and the wound to gape open. The smaller the stitches (i.e. face / eyelids) the more important this advice is.
Alcohol
Do not drink alcohol for 24 hrs to 2 weeks, depending on the size and amount of surgery (shave excisions 24 hrs, small full excisions with stitches a minimum of 48 hrs and then within reason, larger surgery or multiple Lipomas or cysts: Up to 2 weeks or until fully healed
Redness / Infection
Buy some antiseptic. Should your wound look inflamed or infected, please apply some simple iodine or other antiseptic on a cotton wool bud to the wound repeatedly every few hours. If its getting worse call our service on 01628 969077 or Dr Kittel on 07828 663355
Stitch removal
Our video and / or the nurse will advise you about this on the day. Please book your stitch removal as soon as possible after surgery. If you have dissolvable sutures you do not need to book an appointment. We now offer routinely a stitch removal kit and a link to a video to all our patients.
Pain
Pain after Minor Surgery is usually well controlled using simple over the counter medicines like Paracetamol, Ibuprofen or Co-Codamol. Avoid Aspirin, which is contained in some products like Anadin and Anadin Extra. Always read the drug information leaflet. Purchase painkillers before your procedure.
Scarring
Scars don’t always look good to start with. After 6-8 weeks significant scar shrinkage sets in and results look very different. You can help better scarring by 1) using silicone gel (available online) 2) using Mepore or any other Tape vertically to scar for 8 weeks to support the strength of the scar. 3) Also, Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with poor healing in burn victims recently and as such good Vitamin D levels are likely to be soon discovered as beneficial for good wound healing after surgery. There is not yet any evidence on this recommendation, but I believe that particularly in Winter and in patients with low sun exposure a dose of 2000-3000iU of Vitamin D (2-3 tablets) for 2-3 weeks beforehand and 2-3 weeks after surgery is beneficial.
Forms complete?
Please ensure you have completed our application form, pre-consent form and consent form online. Other forms, like an exemption of lab test agreement etc are sometimes mailed. You should have been sent individual links to this, which will put the form into your own medical records.
Arrival @ the clinic
As soon as you arrive, please enter the building. There is disabled parking and a disabled ramp. Please pull rather than push the entrance door. If locked, press the bell. If you are early we will see you early if someone else is late. This means, no one has to wait longer.
Specific Advice
Shave Excisions
These are usually small excisions with small wounds. Keep them covered with a small piece of Mepilex Border or a spot plaster for 2-7 days depending on advice on the day. You only need to keep them dry for 24-48 hrs. depending on advice. Wait for the scabs to fall of naturally. Do not scratch them off as cosmetic results can worsen. If it is in the face or the neck, keep them uncovered after 24 hrs.
Large and multiple excisions
You need to keep those covered and safe for longer. Should the wound crack and Dr Kittel not be available the wound should be immediately re-sutured in a Minor Injuries Unit. If it is more than 6-12 hrs since surgery re-suturing may not be possible. Then the wound should heal from back to front which may take a little longer.
Xanthelasma – Laser
Do not wash the area until scabs have formed (usually 48 hours). Wait for all crusts to fall off by themselves. We do not recommend covering these. Occasionally you may experience swelling and redness of the surrounding tissues, which usually settles on its own or with some Antihistamines i.e. Piriton or Cetirizine and Anti-inflammatories i.e. Ibuprofen (please ask your pharmacist).
Blood thinning
Most blood thinning medication is essential and should not be stopped unless the benefit outweighs the risk. Please ensure you have carefully read this page even if it is not Aspirin you are on https://minorsurgery.co.uk/aspirin-blood-thinning-medicines-minor-surgery/
Please only stop blood thinning medications if your specialist and / or GP agree. If they disagree, we need to carefully discuss this at the consultation. Please notify us in your application form and during the consultation of any blood thinning medicines you are taking.
Numbing Cream
Emla Cream is a Local Anaesthetic cream that we recommend you buy and apply under clingfilm or a transparent plaster 2-3 hours before the procedure only for certain moles and skin tags or if you very worried about the local anaesthetic. This reduces the need for Local Anaesthetic Injections. Please download the online leaflet on https://minorsurgery.co.uk/cms/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/EMLA-cream.pdf
Questions?
TVSS is always happy to help if you are worried. Just call 01628 969077 or email office@tvvs.uk
- Martin Kittel
- Most recent update: 20/03/2024
- 3:48 pm
- Page first published: 09/09/2018