WOUND AFTERCARE - AFTER SURGERY

Upon completion of your surgery, a nurse will apply a dressing to your wound. The nurse will advise you of the length of time your dressing is to remain on. This time will vary and depend on the type of wound closure you have had.

A nurse will go through your discharge instructions with you and your support person/medical treatment decision maker, if you wish, and give you a copy to take home.

An appointment will be made for removal of sutures or wound review if required. Please note, some wounds including skin grafts and secondary intention closures, will require further wound review appointments.

 

Please advise our nursing staff if you would prefer to have your sutures/wound review at another facility, your regular General Practitioner’s rooms for example. This is generally a more convenient option for patients who live out of Ballarat and in rural areas.

All patients will receive a Patient Information Handout prior to surgery. This handout contains discharge instructions and what to expect post-surgery. Please read carefully before your surgery and discuss any questions or concerns you may have with the nurse during your discharge.

A member of our nursing staff will call you to follow up on how you are going, usually within 24-48 hours post-surgery.
On discharge, you will be provided with the Clinical phone number for the Ballarat Surgicentre and your specialist’s mobile number for out of hours calls and emergencies.