480.614.0499
Valley Facial Plastic Surgery | 8952 E. Desert Cove, Suite 205 | Scottsdale, AZ 85260 | Phone: 480.614.0499 | Fax: 480.273.8689
Post-Op Instructions for Your Facial Paralysis Treatment
Post-Operative Care
- Do nothing to the surgical site for the first 24 hours and then refer to the instructions for incision care.
- You may bathe the day after surgery. Showering is usually permitted 2 days after surgery. Do not let the force of the shower beat directly on your face.
- Sutures will be removed 5-7 days after surgery. Often Steri-strips will be applied following suture removal. The physician will remove the Steri-strips in 1 week or instruct you to remove them.
- Take only the prescribed medication or Tylenol for pain control. Do not take aspirin or aspirin containing products for pain.
- Avoid bending over, heavy lifting and strenuous activity for one week.
- Avoid direct sun for 6 months. Wear sunscreen with UVA and UVB protection (SPF 15).
Care Instructions for Incisions
- Cleanse suture lines with hydrogen peroxide solution (mix 1 part water and 1 part hydrogen peroxide) and Q-tips. Dip the Q-tip in the peroxide solution and gently roll it across the suture line to remove dried blood. You will need several Q-tips each time you do this.
- Take a dry Q-tip and gently roll it across suture line to remove foam from peroxide and drainage. Repeat steps 1 and 2 as needed to remove dried blood completely.
- After suture line is thoroughly cleaned, apply a very small amount of Bacitracin Ointment over suture line.
- Repeat this procedure 2-3 times per day. By doing this, you will minimize your risk of infection and reduce the formation of scar tissue, giving a better cosmetic result.
- Dr. Pryor asks that you clean the incisions in this manner until all sutures are removed. After the sutures
are removed on day 5-10 you will be asked to use only Aquaphor ointment
to the incisions twice daily for a further two weeks.
Eye Care
- It may be important to continue using lacrilube ointment in the affected eye at night. This will decrease the chance of a corneal abrasion or dry eye problem. If prescribed use this nightly.
- Dr. Pryor may also recommend continued use of hypotears eye drops while you are healing during the day for maximal eye hydration.
- If a gold weight is placed in the upper eyelid to help with closure and/or a lower eyelid tightening procedure is performed the incisions may be cared for in the manner described above.
- Your eye health will slowly and steadily improve over time. Feel free to call the office at any time with questions or concerns at 480-423-3150.
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