Aftercare

We aim for the very best  in after care. You will be looked after by the team in which ever hospital you have surgery, be it the The Park or the Woodthorpe hospital.

All patients can also attend the The Redcliffe Rooms for review so giving further access to follow-up care. Your specific aftercare needs will obviously vary depending upon what surgery you have had. All appointments will be made while you are in hospital.

There is no charge for follow-up appointments and all after-care is included. If you have any concerns please contact us or the relevant hospitals at the numbers below.

This is something many cosmetic surgeons do not offer and can cause unnecessary worry if you think that post-op you cannot ask questions or alleviate concerns.

Contact

Mr McCulleys Secretary, The Redcliffe Rooms
Telephone: 07436 543024

The Park Hospital, ask for Cosmetic Nurse team in outpatients
Telephone: 0115 9662000

The Woodthorpe hospital, ask for outpatient dressings team
Telephone: 0115 9209209

Taking Care of your healing wounds

Here are some simple tips and guidelines to help you through the recovery process:

Showers not baths

Most wounds have ‘sealed’ themselves after 2-3 days allowing you to get them wet in a shower. Most wounds will be covered by a special human super-glue. This allows you to shower almost immediately. You may also have some shower proof dressings on for the first week or so but this is unusual.

Do NOT SOAK in a bath or go swimming until your wounds are fully healed (usually minimum of 10-14 days). The nurse or I will give you the all clear. Baths are actually not very hygienic for wounds so shower instead! The glue will flake away by itself after 10 days. The wounds will seal themselves under the glue in 2-3 days.

Physical activity

You need to avoid excessive stretching or rubbing of your wounds during the initial healing period (first two weeks). As a guide, gentle exercise like walking over the first 7-10 days is to be encouraged. You can then build up to moderate exercise (cycle machine, longer or strenuous walks) up to the fourth week.

High impact exercise is usually achievable at six weeks. These rules for exercise are similar for sexual activity. Each operation has specific exercise recovery norms and these are described in the relevant sections for the operation you have undergone.

Driving

You should avoid driving until you are completely free of pain and restriction and be able to confidently perform an emergency stop. This is to ensure that you will be covered by your insurance policy.

Sun

Avoid sun or tanning lamps on new scars for 6-12 months. The scars can be very sensitive and can darken. Cover them or use a good sun block.

Massage or silicone tape

Scars vary from person to person. In general most patients form very good quality scars over time but others take longer. Some of you will form thin white scars while others will get thicker red scars that take many months to flatten.

ONCE healed massaging your scars with moisturiser once or twice a day is helpful. Some like to use Bio-oil although there is no evidence this is better than a simple skin cream.

For tummy and breast scars there is also the option of wearing silicone tape. It can be very helpful but does not make a difference for all patients. If used this needs to be worn as much as possible for 3-4 months to be of value. Ask the cosmetic nurse about wearing silicone tape if you feel you would be interested in this.