Penile surgery with split skin graft : University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

What to expect following surgery

You will return from surgery with a dressing to the penis which will keep your graft wound clean and dry. You will usually be discharged home with this dressing in place.

You may be sent home with a urinary catheter in place to keep the wound dry and promote healing.

You will receive a date to return to clinic 7-12 days after the surgery for the graft dressing to be removed by the Clinical Nurse Practitioner (CNP).

When you attend clinic the CNP will review the graft and then apply a new dressing which will remain in place for a further week. This will either be removed at a further outpatient clinic appointment the following week or by your local practice/ district nurse.

After two weeks following the surgery, if the graft site is fully healed you will no longer require further dressings, but you will be given specific advice regarding this by either the CNP or your district/ practice nurse. Once the graft has healed the urinary catheter can be removed.

Your donor site (the area on the thigh where the skin graft was taken from) is like a large graze and is often the most uncomfortable wound.

The donor site will be reviewed before you leave hospital and will be redressed with a Mepitel® dressing which can stay in place for 3-4 days. You can either change this dressing at home yourself or the ward staff can make arrangements for a district nurse or practice nurse at your local GP surgery to change the dressing.

When you go home it is important to keep your penis and thigh dressings dry so you must not bath or shower until you are reviewed in outpatient clinic by the CNP.

What to expect when you get home

Bleeding: You should not experience any major bleeding. If there is a slight ooze of blood through the dressing, this can be stopped by applying pressure to the area using a clean piece of gauze to press firmly onto the area for about 10 mins.

If bleeding does not stop, seek medical advice.

Pain: You are likely to experience some discomfort or pain following your operation. Please take your painkillers regularly as prescribed on the packet. Do not exceed the stated dose. This discomfort/ pain will improve over time but may take a few weeks to disappear.

Returning to work: You will usually require 2-3 weeks off work. If you require a sick certificate, please ask the medical team before you leave hospital.

Follow up appointment: An outpatient appointment is required one week after surgery to see the Clinical Nurse Practitioner (CNP). You will be reviewed thereafter at 6-8 weeks after the surgery by the surgeon.

Aftercare: To minimise complications you must not do any heavy lifting (nothing heavier than a full kettle of water) for two weeks.

You must not have sex for six weeks following surgery.

If you experience:

persistent bleeding
pain which is not controlled by the prescribed pain killers
a fever of 100 (38 C) or higher
you have redness and or discharge from the wound.

Contact the Clinical Nurse Practitioner or your medical team via the numbers overleaf. Out of hours, please contact your GP or nearest Accident & Emergency Department.