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UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA

DEPARTMENT OF OTOLARYNGOLOGY-HEAD & NECK SURGERY

POST-OPERATIVE CARE FOLLOWING

Mohs Reconstruction

 

Call our office promptly if:
√	The area becomes red, develops purulent drainage, or becomes warm to the touch.
√	The area suddenly swells, becomes very painful, or develops dark purple color.
If any of the above should occur after regular office hours, the on-call otolaryngologist can be reached via the University’s paging operator at 434-924-0000.
Care of the Surgical Site
√	The main goal of postoperative care is to keep the surgical incisions moist with an emollient (Bacitracin, Vaseline, or Aquaphor) and prevent drying or crust formation. The following instructions tell you how to do this.
√	If any bleeding occurs, apply firm pressure for 5-10 minutes.
√	Unless specifically instructed, any dressing can come off two days after surgery.  Thereafter, any bandage is optional and can be used for camoflouge if going out in public, or to catch any remaining blood droplets.  Occasionally (e.g. for a skin graft), a pressure dressing will remain in place until your first follow up visit.
√	Do not get area wet with water for 4 days. Simply clean with diluted hydrogen peroxide (50:50 with water) and apply antibiotic ointment with Q-tips 4-5 times a day for 7 days.  Do not allow the incision to dry out in between applications of ointment.  After 7 days, you may switch from antibiotic ointment to Vaseline or Aquaphor.
√	If there was no pressure dressing on the wound, after 4 days you may allow soap and water to run over the incisions while showering, but do not allow a direct spray of water or immersion in a tub to occur.
√	Do not allow drying or crust formation. Keep the site moist with the above procedure.
√	Do not wear make-up until sutures are removed or a new, thin layer of skin covers the area (usually 7-10 days).
	Bacitracin is an antibiotic ointment that may be purchased from the drug store.  We prefer this over any combination ointment that contains Neosporin or Polysporin.