Contents
Your recovery at a glance
- Off work
- Most people are back to office work the next day. If your job is heavy, dirty or wet, have a word with us first.
- Showering
- First 48 hours: if you have a dressing, the usual advice is to keep it in place and dry for about 48 hours.
- Exercise
- Gym, sport and heavy lifting once the wound has healed over and feels comfortable, usually two to four weeks.
- Full recovery
- Stitches usually out at 7 to 14 days; results, where a sample is sent, in about 3 to 4 weeks
This is a general guide for the average patient. Your own instructions come with your discharge information and in your recovery guide in the Waterfront patient app, and they come first.
Before you leave the hospital
- Keep any dressing in place and dry for about 48 hours, unless your surgeon told you otherwise
- Take it easy on day one: extra pillows for face wounds, leg up for leg wounds, no alcohol
- Once the wound can be left open, wash it gently once a day, pat dry, and apply a thin smear of the ointment you were given
- Keep your stitch-removal appointment (usually 7 to 14 days; we arrange it and remove them at Waterfront)
- If a sample was sent, expect to hear from us in about 3 to 4 weeks; ring if nothing after 4 weeks
- Sunscreen on the scar for the first year
Wound care and scars
- First 48 hours: if you have a dressing, the usual advice is to keep it in place and dry for about 48 hours. Some wounds, on the scalp or brow for instance, are left without a dressing and you may be told you can shower straight away and apply a little plain ointment. Your surgeon will tell you which applies to you.
- Bending down and hot drinks can restart bleeding from face wounds, so extra pillows help; put your leg up for leg wounds. Best to skip alcohol on day one.
- The first week: once the wound can be left open, wash it gently once a day, pat dry, and apply a thin smear of whatever ointment you were given. Keep it covered with a simple dressing if you prefer.
- Stitches are usually removed between 7 and 14 days, depending on the site. We arrange this appointment and remove them here at Waterfront, so there is no need to involve your GP. Some stitches dissolve and need nothing done. Be gentle with the wound for a few days afterwards, as that is when it is weakest.
Comfort and pain relief
- The anaesthetic wears off after two to three hours. Two paracetamol 500mg every four to six hours is usually plenty, up to eight tablets in 24 hours. Check nothing else you take, such as a cold remedy, also contains paracetamol.
- It is better to avoid aspirin and ibuprofen (Nurofen) in the first day or two, as they can encourage bleeding, unless you take them regularly for another reason.
- A little bleeding in the first few hours is common. Press firmly and steadily over the wound for a full 30 minutes without lifting to look, as that stops it clotting. It nearly always settles; if not, ring us.
Before your appointment
- Eat and drink as normal. Keep taking your usual medicines unless we have told you otherwise.
- Bring someone with you for surgery to the face, head, neck or hands. You may not be able to drive home, and a dressing near the eye can block your vision.
- Tell us beforehand if you take a blood thinner such as aspirin, clopidogrel, edoxaban, rivaroxaban, apixaban, dabigatran or warfarin, and please do not stop any of them yourself. On warfarin, have your INR checked two days before, ideally below 3, and bring your anticoagulation book.
- Tell us about diabetes, epilepsy, a bleeding disorder, a pacemaker or any implanted device, and any allergy, especially to antibiotics, dressings, latex or local anaesthetic.
- Smoking slows healing, so stopping for a couple of weeks either side gives the wound the best chance.
What happens on the day
Local anaesthetic is injected into the skin. It stings for a few seconds, then the area goes numb, so you should not feel pain, though you may still feel pressure. The lesion is then sampled or removed. Most wounds are closed with stitches, often with a dissolving layer underneath. Some are dressed and some are left open, depending on the site.
Laboratory results
Not every lesion is examined under the microscope. Where there is no diagnostic question, a straightforward cosmetic removal for instance, it may not be sent at all, and your surgeon will tell you on the day.
Where it is sent, results usually take three to four weeks, occasionally longer if further tests are needed. Every result is reviewed by your consultant before release, so we can explain what it means and what, if anything, happens next. We will then write, telephone or arrange an appointment.
If you were expecting a result and have heard nothing after four weeks, do ring rather than sitting worrying.
The procedures we do
- Biopsy or excision: a small round piece (punch), part (incisional) or all (excisional) of the lesion is removed and the skin closed with a few stitches.
- Wide local excision: a further margin of normal-looking skin is taken from around an earlier scar, to be certain nothing was left behind. Your consultant will have explained why it is needed.
- Skin graft: skin from another area, often near the ear or collarbone, is trimmed to fit and stitched in. Both sites are dressed, sometimes with a dressing stitched onto the graft.
- Skin flap: skin from beside the wound is moved across and stitched into place. It keeps its own blood supply, so it heals well and matches for colour.
- Healing on its own: the wound is left open to close on its own. This often gives a very good result and avoids bigger surgery, but needs regular dressings for several weeks.
Activity, driving and work
- Most people are back to office work the next day. If your job is heavy, dirty or wet, have a word with us first.
- Gym, sport and heavy lifting once the wound has healed over and feels comfortable, usually two to four weeks. Wounds on the lower leg take a good deal longer, which is normal and nothing to worry about.
- Avoid swimming and hot tubs for at least six weeks.
- All skin surgery leaves a permanent scar. It stays red for three to six months, fades towards white, and keeps improving for about a year. Sunscreen on it for the first year makes a real difference to how it ends up.
Common questions
Do I need to fast or stop my medicines?
No. Eat and drink as normal and keep taking your usual medicines unless we have told you otherwise. If you take a blood thinner, tell us beforehand and do not stop it yourself.
Can I drive home?
For surgery to the face, head, neck or hands, bring someone with you: you may not be able to drive home, and a dressing near the eye can block your vision. For other sites, once the numbness has worn off and you feel normal.
When do the stitches come out?
Usually between 7 and 14 days, depending on the site. We arrange the appointment and remove them here at Waterfront, so there is no need to involve your GP. Some stitches dissolve and need nothing done.
Will I need another appointment after my stitches are out?
Usually not. Once the stitches are removed there is no further routine review, unless you have had a skin graft or a similar procedure, in which case we will arrange one. If a sample was sent, we will contact you with the result.
When will I get my results?
If a sample was sent, usually three to four weeks, occasionally longer if further tests are needed. Your consultant reviews every result before release and we then write, telephone or arrange an appointment. Not every lesion is sent; your surgeon will tell you on the day. If you have heard nothing after four weeks, do ring.
When can I get back to the gym, and swimming?
Gym, sport and heavy lifting once the wound has healed over and feels comfortable, usually two to four weeks (longer for the lower leg). No swimming or hot tubs for at least six weeks.
Your guide in the patient app
Your recovery guide in the Waterfront patient app is the personal, dated version of this page, with your own instructions, your appointments and the hospital’s contact details.
Download the printed leaflet (PDF)
Your discharge information and your recovery guide in the Waterfront patient app tell you who to contact and when. If you have any concerns about your recovery, contact the hospital using the details you were given.