Advice after your nerve block for surgery
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You have received treatment in the ED following a wound or laceration which may include several procedures. Please follow this advice to help your wound heal as safely as possible.
Sutures/Stitches
- Please follow specific instructions given by your Clinician
- If you have had sutures to your head, wash your hair with gentle shampoo, blow dry using a hair dryer then leave until sutures are removed
- Keep dry where possible if the wound gets wet then pat dry and leave
- If a dressing has been applied, please leave in place for 48 hours. Do you cover using protective ‘waterproof’ plasters, zinc oxide surgical tape, plastic finger stall or rubber gloves as this causes excess moisture and slows down healing
- Avoid excessive use of the sutured area until fully healed
Staples
- Please follow specific instructions given by your Clinician
- Please follow the above as per suture/stiches advise
- Please ensure that the Clinician has given you a ‘Staple Remover’ Devise to take to your Practice Nurse on the specified day so that the staples can be safely removed
Wound Paper Strips
- Please follow specific instructions given by your Clinician
- Please follow the above as per suture/stitches
- When removing on the specified date, you may need to soak in some water to release the glue. You may also need to remove alternate strips and leave for 24 hours before removing the rest
Wound Glue
- Please follow specific instructions given by your Clinician
- Please follow the above as per suture/stitches
- Please ensure you keep the wound dry, glue can be dissolved by excessive moisture which may cause your wound to open
- Please leave any ‘scabs’ intact, the wound glue usually falls off after 5-7 days
Risk of infection
Most wounds heal with no problems at all. A small minority of wounds do get infected.
Signs of an infected wound include:
- Increasing and spreading redness around the wound
- Increasing pain or discomfort
- The wound may ooze discoloured liquid which may also smell offensive. If a dressing is in place, you will see it ooze through. A small amount of yellow fluid is normal but increasing amounts may indicate infection.
- Your wound may re-open
Please contact your Practice Nurse, GP, call 111 or visit https://
your wound is infected.
Please return to the Emergency Department if:
You feel unwell with a raised temperature (above 38oC), whole body aching, malaise or confusion, nausea and vomiting. You may have a rare condition called Sepsis.
Please remember that it might take 6 months for redness of the scar to fade.
Contact us
If you have any queries relating to this information, please contact the Emergency department (ED) service.
About this information
Service:
Emergency department (ED)
Reference:
A/035
Approval date:
1 November 2024
Review date:
1 November 2027
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Important note
This page provides general information only. It is developed by clinical staff and is reviewed regularly every 3 years for accuracy. For personal advice about your health, or if you have any concerns, please speak to your doctor.