Punch Biopsy Aftercare

Well today you have had the doctor perform what is called punch biopsy. What this means is that the doctor took a punch of skin from an area on your body for shipping to the laboratory for further and more intense biopsy testing.

After the punch biopsy the doctor will usually give the patient directions on wound care. However, if those were misplaced or forgotten at the doctor's office, here are some tips for wound care after that punch biopsy.

The doctor will have placed antibiotic ointment and a bandage over the wound, there will usually be no stitches as the bunch is too small of a wound to stitch.

Do not remove the bandage from the biopsy area for 24 hours and be sure to keep this area dry. If by chance the bandage becomes wet remove it and place more antibiotic ointment on the wound and re-bandage. Patients can shower after 24 hours unless your doctor indicates differently.

After 24 hours remove the bandage and clean the wound with soap and water with a soft washcloth, rinse the area well and dry it gently making sure it is completely dry. Reapply antibiotic ointment and re-bandage the punch biopsy wound and make sure to repeat this wound care for 7 to 10 days.

Soon you will notice the punch biopsy area is scabbed over. This is normal for healing and it is important to not remove the scab. Continue to clean the area lightly with a washcloth and light soap being careful not to pull the scab away from the biopsy area. Let the scab fall off on it's own do not pull the scab or scratch the scab from the biopsy area.

Some patients heal more quickly than others so if your punch biopsy wound is not healed within the 10 days do not be worried it can be normal.

However, if the punch biopsy wound begins to bleed when you return home there is some steps that should be taken. It is normal for small amounts of blood to ooze from the wound for 3 to 5 days after the procedure but if there are serious amounts of blood then place a gauze pad and put pressure onto the punch biopsy area for a 15-minute period of time. Once the bleeding is stopped then re-bandage the wound with antibiotic ointment on the wound.

If the punch biopsy area turns yellow and oozes yellow fluid it is necessary to call the physician, as this can be a sign of infection. Some clear oozing is normal but not yellow or green fluid. If there is swelling or the punch biopsy area becomes painful it can also be a sign of infection and the patient needs to contact the physician.

Some punch biopsies have stitches if yours has stitches the physician will instruct the patient to return in 1 to 2 weeks to have the stitches removed. The time stitches stay in a patient depends on the site of the punch biopsy.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THE HEALING OR CARE OF YOUR PUNCH BIOPSY PLEASE CONTACT YOUR PHYSICIAN DIRECTLY