Minor Procedures Information

You will soon be having a surgical procedure by A/Prof Damian Marucci under local anaesthetic

Before the Surgery

• Stay on all you regular medications including aspirin (Cartia), warfarin (Coumadin) and clopidogrel (Plavix). The ONLY exception is that if you are on blood thinners like Xarelto or Eliquis, please don’t take the ONE dose BEFORE the surgery, and then go back onto your usual dosage straight after the surgery
• You can eat, drink and be merry right up until you have the surgery
• We ask you to arrive promptly at the time indicated. Your surgery will usually only take 20 – 30 minutes. You will be able to drive to and from the surgery as we won’t be making you sleepy

The Surgery Itself

• You will be taken into the operating room and A/Prof Marucci will draw on you to plan the surgery. Local anaesthetic will then be injected to make the area numb. After that, you will feel some pushing and pulling but you shouldn’t feel anything sharp. If you do, let A/Prof Marucci know and he can put in some more local anaesthetic
• The type of suture and dressings used will depend on which part of the body is being operated on:

Surgery on the face:

• The wound will be closed with a mixture of dissolving and permanent sutures
  • The main dressing used is VASELINE (available over the counter and in supermarkets)
  • You can shower NORMALLY over the sutures/wound from the following day. You can use soap and shampoo as per normal
  • Pat the wound dry and apply VASELINE TWICE A DAY

Surgery on the trunk and limbs:

• The wound may be closed with dissolving sutures only, in which case paper tape called MICROPORE (available over the counter at the chemist) will be used on top of the wounds. A bandage may be placed over that part of arm or leg
  • You can remove any bandages the following day. You can then shower straight over the paper tape on the wound the following day. You can use soap and shampoo as per normal. Leave the paper tape on. If it falls off, buy some more paper tape (MICROPORE) from the chemist and put it on

Surgery on the scalp:

• This is the one part of the body that staples are used to close the wound. Staples don’t damage the hair follicles as much as sutures, so cause less hair loss
  • You can shower with shampoo AS SOON AS YOU GET HOME AFTER THE SURGERY

After the surgery

• No swimming and no exercise for one week after the surgery. Nothing “for” exercise (you can walk – but not for exercise)
• The local anaesthetic will last for a few hours. When it wears off you might need some Panadol, but you shouldn’t need anything stronger than that.
• If there is any bleeding from the wound, put firm pressure on for at least 10 minutes with clean tissues. This should stop 99% of all bleeding. Look at the clock and make sure it is a full 10 minutes. If the bleeding hasn’t stopped after 20 – 30 minutes of pressure, let the rooms or A/Prof Marucci know
• If there is spreading redness / increasing pain / signs of infection, please let the rooms or A/Prof Marucci know
• You can shower over the wound NORMALLY the day after surgery (except scalp is same day as surgery)
• Non dissolving sutures on the face are removed after one week. Elsewhere on the body/scalp the sutures/staples are removed after 2 weeks

Minor Procedures Information Sheet