You should wear comfortable clothing. You may want to bring a sweater as our office is kept very cool for the laboratory equipment that is needed for the procedure.

Yes. Breakfast is recommended.

Yes. Take your regular medications as they have been prescribed. Please CONTINUE to take your blood thinners as prescribed (aspirin, Coumadin® or warfarin, Plavix®, Ticlid®, etc).

Yes. Physical activity, including sports, will be limited for the first week following surgery. If your work requires significant physical exertion, you may be out of work for several days after surgery or need to be limited in your duties. An excuse for your absence or limitations will be provided if necessary. If possible, avoid [...]

Do not drink alcohol for 3 days following surgery and avoid using tobacco for 3 weeks after surgery. These result in increased bleeding after the procedure and can slow/impair the healing process. If the procedure was on your face, do not bend over in the days following the surgery. This can result in blood rushing [...]

Bleeding and infection are the two primary complications. Both of these are uncommon and can be treated if they do occur. We will discuss how to recognize and deal with these problems when you come for your surgery. Although not considered complications, you should expect bruising and swelling for several days following surgery.

It often takes a full year for the healing process to be completed. Most of the significant changes are in the first 6 months. Your scar will go through several stages of healing before the redness fades and it settles down into a fine, light-colored line.

It is often necessary to cut small, superficial nerves during the removal of the skin cancer. These nerves provide sensation to the skin, but they do not perform motor functions. For a majority of patients, abnormal sensations are minimal or not observed. Occasionally, you may experience numbness, tingling, or a crawling sensation in the months [...]

2 months after your procedure, your scar will look its worst as it goes through the contraction phase of wound healing. After that time, the scar will smoothen and the redness will fade. For scars that remain puffy or “hypertrophic” 4-8 months after the procedure, small procedures can be performed to help with the appearance. [...]

You may feel bumps and lumps under the skin. This is normal and is due to the dissolvable sutures under the surface of the skin. These deep sutures take months to completely dissolve and the scar will not be smooth until this time. Occasionally a red bump or pustule forms along the suture line when [...]