What Happens if the Wound Can be Closed Immediately With Stitches or if a Skin Graft is Used?
If the surgeon closes the wound with sutures (stitches) or places a graft, keep the wound clean and dry until the next visit. If a foul-smelling fluid oozes from the wound, call the surgeon’s office immediately. This may mean that the wound has become infected and an antibiotic may be necessary. If the Wound is Allowed to Heal by Itself, What is the Procedure? If the wound is allowed to heal by itself (granulate in), it usually does so in four to eight months. The dressing may be changed every day until the healing is complete. All wounds normally drain and dressings are changed daily to rid the wound of such drainage. The surgeon’s nurses will instruct you on how to change the dressing. What Happens After the Wound has Healed? You may experience a sensation of tightness or drawing as the wound heals, but this is normal. After several months, you will feel this less and less. Frequently, tumors involve nerves, so it may take a year or two before feeling returns to normal. Sometimes, th
