If you encounter bleeding from the wound, apply direct pressure with fingers and gauze firmly for 10 minutes without peeking. In most cases, this is all it takes to stop the bleeding. If you’ve already tried this and the bleeding has still not stopped, call either our office during office hours or your provider after hours.

Leave the dressing in place overnight. The first 24 hours are the most important in regards to bleeding. If you give the wound peace and quiet all the blood vessels will form a seal and not give you problems with oozing. Try to avoid physical activity: Read a book, watch TV or talk on the phone. Don’t go to your exercise class. Take Tylenol or acetaminophen for any pain, which can be alternated with ibuprofen every 2 hours. For example 2 tablets of tyenol regular strength 325 mg tablets at 2 pm then 2 tablets of ibuprofen 200 mg at 4 pm then repeat the tyenol at 6 pm and so on. Maximum daily dose of tyenol is 4000 mg (12 tablets). Maximun dose of ibuprogen is 3200 (16 tablets).

 If you don’t have these supplies at home you can get them at any drugstore: Hand sanitizer and Q-tips.

 Once a day change the dressing in the following manner:

1. Wash hands thoroughly with hand sanitizer before taking the bandage off your wound.

2. Remove the old dressing and gently cleanse the area with soap and water. It is not unusual to find a small amount of dried blood on the bandage and around the wound.

3. Apply the Polysporin ointment, Mupiricin ointment, or plain Vaseline ointment with a clean Q-tip to the area of the incision. Don’t use Neosporin or triple antibiotic ointment because it contains neomycin and there is a high rate of reaction to neomycin. Don’t touch the wound with your fingers. This is how bacteria are transported to the wound. Use a clean Q-tip instead.

4. Apply the new dressing. After the first day a regular Band-Aid is adequate, but if the area will receive any trauma or rubbing it is best to pad the wound with a thick layer of clean gauze and cover with tape.

Always keep the area protected with a dressing. If the old dressing falls off, apply a new one. Wounds that are kept covered heal faster and with a better cosmetic result than wounds left open for the air to dry out. Don’t soak the wound in the bath tub, pool or hot tub. Showering is OK. Just leave the wound dressing on during the shower. Then afterwards, remove it and go through the steps above to put on a new dressing.

Report any signs of excessive bleeding, discharge, pain, or swelling. 

The wound may be uncomfortable for the first 24 hours. The numbing medicine lasts for about 1 to 2 hours after the procedure. Try alternating Tylenol and Ibuprofen as outlined above every 2 hours.

For questions during office hours, please call (509) 735-1100.

Please note: There is a possibility that your biopsy will be sent to an outside laboratory for consultation or second opinion when gathering additional information is needed. When this occurs, we delay contacting you with the diagnosis until all the pathology reports are received and reviewed. This allows us to give you the most accurate diagnosis possible. We will contact you either with a letter or by phone as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience.