You should begin doing daily dressing changes

1. Remove the old dressing and discard.

2. Cleanse the wound with tap water.  This may be done in the shower or by placing a wet gauze pad directly on the wound and letting it soak for several minutes.

3. It is important to gently remove any dried blood from the wound in order to encourage healing.  This may be done by gently rolling a wet Q-tip on the dried blood.  Do not pick at the wound.

4. If the wound should start to bleed, continue cleaning the wound, then place a moist gauze pad on the wound and hold pressure for a few minutes.

5. Make sure you then dry the entire wound completely, or the tape will not stick to the skin.  Do not use cotton balls on the wound.

6. After the wound is clean and dry, apply Polysporin ointment with a Q-tip.

7. Cut a non-stick pad to fit the size of the wound.  Lay the pad flush to the wound.  If the wound is draining, you may want to reinforce with gauze or cotton balls on top of the non-stick pad.

8. Use the tape to seal the bandage completely.

9. 1. If your wound has been left open to heal, continue the above routine   until it has healed.  You may begin to wash the wound gently with Dove   soap and water after it has completely healed.

   2. If your wound has been stitched closed, continue the above routine until your sutures are removed.  If steri-strips are applied after the sutures are removed, try to keep them dry so they will stay on 5-7 days.  After steri-strips fall off or if they were not applied, cleanse the wound gently with Dove soap and water daily.  Then apply Polysporin to the scar 1-2 times a day for another week.

Below is a list of dressing supplies you may need.  Do not purchase a large quantity prior to your surgery.

1. Cotton-tipped applicators
2. Gauze pads
3. Non-stick dressing material
4. Tape
5. Polysporin ointment