INSTRUCTIONS
• Have someone else drive you home after surgery and help you at home for 1-2 days.
• If you have reached medication for pain or sedation while under our care, you should not drive, operate
machinery, drink alcohol, or sign any legal document for 24 hours
• Get plenty of rest
• Follow balanced diet
• Take pain medications as prescribed. Do not take aspirin or any products containing aspirin
• Do not drink alcohol while taking pain medications
• Do not smoke. Smoking decreases blood flow to the skin, and particularly to the area of the operation. It can delay
wound healing or cause tissue loss.
• Apply an ice pack to the area for 10 minutes every ½ hour for first day
WOUND CARE
• You may shower the morning after surgery
• If there is no steri-strip, you can wash area with soap and water and apply Bacatracin or other antibiotic ointment
2 times a day
• Avoid excessive sun exposure and tanning beds until the scar is no longer pink (6-12 months) Casual and
intermittent sun exposure is fine
• Always use a strong sun block (SPF 30 or greater) particularly on the scar, if prolonged sun exposure is
unavoidable
Skin Graft/ Bolster Dressing (sewn or clipped on over the graft)
• Do not remove this dressing. It will remain in place until your first post op appointment
• You may shower the morning after surgery- avoid having the water hit the dressing directly. It is ok if the
dressing gets a bit wet
• The graft may be mottled or purplish when the bolster is removed. This is normal
• Call if you experience increase swelling. There may be fluid accumulating under the graft
• Mild oozing is expected and not uncommon.
Donor Site- where the skin or cartilage graft was harvested
• The usual places for donor sites of the face are the skin in front of your ear, your lower neck or collar
bone areas, or the firm part of your ear. (if cartilage was needed)
• These donor sites are generally closed with sutures (stitches)
• If the donor site has a steri strip on it, leave it on until the first post op day
• If the donor site does not have a steri strip on it, you can wash it after 24 hours with soap and water, them
apply antibiotic ointment daily Nasolabial or Forehead Flap
• There will be a small bridge of skin leading to the flap on the nose. This will lead to increased drainage,
particularly for the first few days
• Use a Q-tip tip with peroxide and water (1/2 and 1/2) to gently clean around and underneath the bridge
• The stitches will be removed at the first post op visit
• No dressing is necessary
• Apply Bacatracin twice a day to all incision lines and on the exposed tissue of the bridge
• This bridge will stay in place for 3-4 weeks. Another surgery will be scheduled at that time.
WHEN TO CALL
• If you have increases swelling or bruising
• If you have increased redness along the incision
• If you have sever or increase pain not relieved by medication
• If you have any side effects to medications: such as, rash, nausea, headache, vomiting
• If you have an oral temperature over 101.0F degrees
• If you have any yellowish or greenish drainage from the incisions or notice foul odor
• If you have bleeding from the incisions that is difficult to control with light pressure
For medical questions, please call:
• 812-477-6600 Evansville Office
• 812-634-6600 Jasper Office
