The majority of Mohs surgeries are completed by mid to late afternoon. It is common for patients to feel tired by the end of the surgery, particularly if multiple stages have been taken, or if there was an involved repair. We do recommend that you have a driver available to take you home. Most of our patients prefer not to work in the afternoon of surgery. We ask that you keep the dressing dry for 24 hours, so it is advisable to shower before your appointment. We recommend that you avoid heavy lifting or exercise for approximately one week after the surgery. Light activity, such as walking, is permissible. If your job requires physical exertion, we recommend that you modify your work schedule to avoid this. If that is not possible, please talk to the surgery staff. If your job does not require physical exertion, you may be physically capable of resuming work as soon as one day after the procedure. Please be advised, there may be noticeable swelling and bruising in the area around the surgery site, as well as dressings in place. Therefore the resumption of a work schedule is often a personal decision. Please feel free to discuss this with our surgery staff.
As noted above, some degree of swelling and bruising near the surgery site is common. Ice packs may be very helpful in reducing the swelling. In general, bruising and swelling resolves within a matter of several days.
