Post-Operative Instructions: Suture Line Care

After many oral and maxillofacial surgery procedures, it is common to have facial or neck incisions. It is important to keep these areas clean to prevent infection and maximize the healing time to obtain the most aesthetic outcome. These instructions will assist you in taking care of your facial or neck incisions. These suture line care post-operative instructions do not pertain to intraoral incisions.

TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR FACIAL OR NECK INCISION, IT IS A GOOD IDEA TO INVEST IN THE FOLLOWING SUPPLIES:

• Antibiotic Ointment (ex: Neosporin^®, bacitracin, Polysporin^®)
• Q-tips^®
• 3% Hydrogen Peroxide

TO CLEAN YOUR INCISION OR WOUND:

1. Mix 2 tablespoons of peroxide with 2 tablespoons of tap water in a small container.
2. Use Q-tips and peroxide solution to clean all blood and drainage from incision lines.
3. Cover all cuts and abrasions with ointment. DO NOT allow the area to dry out or scab over.

Please be sure to clean your incision thoroughly and apply ointment to the area prior to any post-operative appointments with your doctor. DO NOT apply any bandages or other materials unless otherwise instructed. After 5 days, you may get the area wet. Apply a small amount of antibiotic ointment to stitches to protect them from soaking prior to showering. Protect the area from the sun to minimize scarring by wearing a hat and applying sun block.

Do your best to follow the above instructions. Failure to do so can cause excessive scarring, wound infection, and slow healing. Suture line care is very important.

Call the office with any increasing redness, drainage, or wound breakdown after the first few days.