1. Leave your wound dressings in place for the rest of the day of the biopsy and keep them dry.
2. Do daily bandage changes starting tomorrow.
3. Showers are fine starting tomorrow. Leave the bandage(s) in place while you shower and change them once you dry off.
4. Do not soak in the bath or go swimming during the time period that your are doing daily bandage changes.
5. The average time period for doing the daily bandage changes is 5 to 6 days (range is from 1 or 2 days up to 2 weeks). Bandage changes may be discontinued once the wound closes.
6. If you need to use anything to clean the wounds, hydrogen peroxide is good to use. If the wound(s) are fine (i.e. - no signs of infections, etc.) all you need to do is change the bandage each day.
7. The wound(s) may or may not form a scab as they heal -- either way is fine. If a black scab forms over the biopsy site, leave it in place.
8. Continue to change the bandages daily until you do not have an open wound.
9. Anesthetic will typically last 1 to 2 hours after the procedure. After the anesthetic wears off, you may have some mild, localized soreness and tenderness at the biopsy site(s) over the next day or two. If you experience localized discomfort and you are not already on pain medication, over-the-counter Tylenol may be helpful.
10. Refrain from doing extremely strenuous activities for the rest of the day of your biopsy (i.e., extremely heavy lifting, running).
11. Once you are without the bandage, the biopsy site(s) may look slightly reddish or slightly darker than the rest of your skin. This discoloration will gradually fade and blend back with your normal skin color. This fading process can take anywhere from a few months to up to a year for some people.
12. It is very rare that people have any problems during the healing period with significant bleeding, redness, infection or any other problems. If you do have any questions or concerns please call our office or go to the emergency room.
