Mohs Surgery Instructions

At your consultation, Dr. Paz and a medical assistant go over the benefits and possible side effects of surgery with you. After your surgery, a medical assistant reviews these aftercare instructions with you before you leave.

Questions or problems after surgery? Call the office: Fresno at (559) 233-3376 or Visalia at (559) 385-2133. After hours, our answering service will reach us. Your printed instructions also list Dr. Paz’s cell phone number.

Medications

• Take your regularly prescribed medicines the morning of surgery.
• Stop aspirin and anything that contains aspirin 14 days before surgery, unless you’re a heart or stroke patient and your doctor prescribed the aspirin. Never stop a prescribed blood thinner on your own: ask your primary care doctor whether you can stop it before surgery.
• Tell Dr. Paz at least one week before surgery if you take any blood thinner.
• Tell us about any over-the-counter medicines you take.
• If you were told to take antibiotics, start them on time.
• If you’re allergic to any medicine or have any sensitivities, let us know right away.

Habits

• If you smoke, stop for 2 days before and 7 days after surgery.
• If you drink alcohol, stop 14 days before and 2 days after surgery. Both steps help prevent bleeding problems.

The day before and the morning of

• Shower the evening before or the morning of surgery, and wear freshly laundered clothes. This helps prevent infection.
• Wear a shirt or blouse that buttons up the front.
• Eat a meal before you come in. Refreshments are available in our office.

• Plan to be here a while. Mohs takes time, so expect an extended visit. Bring the medicines you’ll need to take during the day.
• Bring someone with you, a family member or friend. Please limit it to two people, since our waiting room is small.
• Arrange a driver. A bulky pressure bandage stays on for 24 to 48 hours and can block your vision.
• If the surgery is near your eyes or mouth, bring a case for contact lenses or dentures.
• Your follow-up visit to remove stitches is scheduled before you leave.

• Leave the first dressing in place for 24 to 48 hours.
• Use an ice pack for 15 minutes of every hour on the first day, and every 3 to 4 hours on the second day. Keeping the area raised on the first day helps too. Ice and elevation reduce swelling and tenderness.
• Keep activity light for the first 48 to 72 hours: no strenuous exercise or heavy lifting, and if your surgery was on your head or neck, avoid bending over.
• If the surgery was on your head, sleep with your head raised on several pillows to reduce swelling.

If you have stitches

If your wound is healing without stitches

Pain

Pain is usually minimal. If you’re uncomfortable, you can take Extra Strength Tylenol, and we’ll prescribe something stronger if you need it.

Bleeding

A little bleeding is normal. When you see blood at the edge of the dressing, leave the dressing on and press firmly on the area over it for 15 minutes. If it keeps bleeding, press again, harder, for another 15 minutes. Bleeding that continues after 30 minutes of pressure means it’s time to call: the office number above, day or night, or Dr. Paz’s cell phone number on your printed instructions.

For the first week

• Keep avoiding aspirin and anything that contains aspirin.
• No strenuous activity. If you drop something, bend your knees to pick it up.
• Avoid alcohol for at least 48 hours after surgery.
• Don’t smoke until your stitches are out.
• Don’t rub or bump the surgical site.

Call us if you notice signs of infection

• Tenderness that gets worse over several days
• Fever
• Yellow drainage