Wound Aftercare
WOUND AFTERCARE
Face & Eye prides itself on its dedicated operating theatre in which only clean ophthalmic and facial surgery is undertaken. This helps to keep the risk of postoperative infection to a minimum.
Following eyelid and facial surgery e.g. cosmetic eyelid surgery, it is essential that postoperative wound care is undertaken meticulously. Remember: always wash your hands thoroughly before cleaning your wounds.
Many patients find that they have difficulty obtaining the products that they require for wound care. For this reason the products you require are available at Face & Eye:
Postoperative wound care instructions:
- Wash your hands thoroughly.
- Open a packet of sterile cotton wool.
- Boil some water.
- Pour the cooled boiled water into the cotton wool packet.
- Clean the eyelid wounds (and any other wounds) gently with one of the sterile cotton wool balls soaked in cooled boiled water. Discard the cotton wool ball after the initial gentle wipe into the rubbish bin.
- Repeat this as required until the wound is clean and free of dried blood or congealed ointment.
- Smear a small amount of antibiotic ointment (usually Chloramphenicol unless you are allergic to this) along the eyelid wounds 3 times a day for 2 weeks with a clean finger.
- Apply clean cool packs to the eyelids for a few minutes each waking hour during the first 24-48 hours after surgery.
- Use artificial tears to the eyes every hour and Lacrilube ointment at bedtime.
- The sutures (stitches) are dissolvable but are usually removed in clinic after 2 weeks if they are still present.
- Do not apply make-up until you have been reviewed in clinic—use mineral make-up only. The nurses at Face & Eye will be happy to discuss this.
- Your vision will be blurred for a few days. Do not drive until this clears.
After 2 weeks you can apply Dermatix or Kelo-cote to the wounds. Using this you can apply gentle massage for 3 minutes 3 times a day to the wounds to help to reduce any thickening or contracture of the wound. This is particularly useful if you have had a skin graft procedure around the eyes/face. You will be shown how to do this by our specialist nurses.
Kelo-cote® is a patented topical silicone gel for the management and prevention of abnormal scars in the form of hypertrophic scars and keloids.
Silicone is the clinical gold standard for scar treatment and scar prevention having demonstrated clinical efficacy over all other forms of topical treatments and is recommended by the International Advisory Panel on Scar Management.
Kelo-cote® has also been successfully used to manage scars resulting from trauma, burns and surgery.
Regardless of the origin of the scar, Kelo-cote® consistently delivers excellent results.
Kelo-cote® should be used to help, treat, reduce, prevent and soften the following types of scars:
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Applied in a very thin layer, Kelo-cote dries within minutes, and remains for 24 hours (apply twice daily to areas of high abrasion). It helps to soften, flatten and smooth the scar while maintaining the moisture balance and elasticity of the adjacent skin.
The alternative silicone gel to Kelo-cote is Dermatix.
bareMinerals make up is a range particularly suited to sensitive skin.
