Advice Following a Skin Biopsy or Minor Skin Operation

Transcription

1 Advice Following a Skin Biopsy or Minor Skin Operation Patient Information

2 Introduction This booklet is designed to give you information about recovery and wound care following a skin biopsy or minor skin operation. We hope it will answer some of the questions that you or those who care for you may have at this time. It does not replace the discussion between you and your surgeon but helps you to understand more about what is discussed. What should I do with the wound once I get home? If the wound has been covered with a dressing it should not be removed. The doctors and nurses looking after you will arrange for your dressings to be removed or changed. In some cases you may be advised to remove the dressings yourself, but you should not do this unless you have been advised to. Keep the dressing clean and dry. If the wound has not been covered with a dressing it may have been smeared with an antibiotic ointment which you should not rub for 24 hours. After this time you may wash the wound daily, patting but not rubbing it dry. You may also be advised to apply a smear of vaseline morning and night, until the wound heals. This will usually take between one and three weeks. Will I experience pain when the local anaesthetic wears off? When the local anaesthetic wears off, usually in about one to two hours, you may experience some mild discomfort. You may take a simple pain killer such as paracetamol. Do not take aspirin unless it is prescribed by your doctor for another condition as this may encourage bleeding. What should I do if the wound bleeds? It is normal to experience some oozing or bleeding in the first 24 hours. If your wound bleeds do not dab it, but press it gently but firmly without stopping for minutes with a clean tissue or dressing. If your wound is on your arm or leg, lift the limb upwards as this will help to stop the bleeding. If the wound is on your head, ensure that you are sitting upright. You should also avoid bending forwards for a day or so if the wound is on your face. If the bleeding does not stop contact the hospital or your GP for advice. Do the stitches need to be removed? Some wounds are repaired with dissolving stitches, paper tapes and a dressing. Before you leave the hospital you will be told how long you should leave this dressing intact for. 1

3 If your wound has been repaired using stitches they will need to be removed. This may be carried out by the nurses at hospital or by the practice nurse at your GP s surgery and you will be given instructions regarding this before going home. What should I do if the wound becomes infected? If the site of your operation becomes increasingly painful or is swollen, red or inflamed in the surrounding tissues this could indicate infection. Contact the hospital or your GP for advice promptly if this happens. You should wait no longer than one to two days before doing this. When will the results of the biopsy be available? The results of the biopsy will be available at your next appointment. Any further instructions or advice:.. It is important that you make a list of all medicines you are taking and bring it with you to all your follow-up clinic appointments. If you have any questions at all, please ask your surgeon, oncologist or nurse. It may help to write down questions as you think of them so that you have them ready. It may also help to bring someone with you when you attend your outpatients appointments. For details of local support groups and organisations, please ask your Medical Team. 2

4 Local sources of further information You can visit any of the health/cancer information centres listed below: Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust Health Information Centre Birmingham Heartlands Hospital Bordesley Green Birmingham B9 5SS Telephone: Cancer Information and Support Centre Good Hope Hospital Rectory Road Sutton Coldfield B75 7RR Telephone: Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust The Courtyard Centre Sandwell General Hospital (Main Reception) Lyndon West Bromwich B71 4HJ Telephone: Fax: University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust The Patrick Room Cancer Centre Queen Elizabeth Hospital Edgbaston Birmingham B15 2TH Telephone: Walsall Primary Care Trust Cancer Information & Support Services Challenge Building Hatherton Street Walsall WS1 1YB Freephone: About this information This guide is provided for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Every effort is taken to ensure that this information is accurate and consistent with current knowledge and 3

5 practice at the time of publication. We are constantly striving to improve the quality of our information. If you have a suggestion about how this information can be improved, please contact us via our website: This information was produced by Pan Birmingham Cancer Network and was written by Consultant Surgeons, Clinical Nurse Specialists, Allied Health Professionals, Patients and Carers from the following Trusts: Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust University Hospital Birmingham Foundation Trust Walsall Hospital NHS Trust We acknowledge the support of Macmillan in producing this information. Pan Birmingham Cancer Network 2010 Publication Date: May 2010 Review Date: May