Why is my plastic surgeon telling me no ointments or creams on healing opening of the skin?

Ointments are Ok: Antibiotic ointments are a reasonable topical treatment for open wounds. Scar modification creams are not.

Ask him: Individual variations require individualized care after taking a medical history and doing an examination.

Trust your surgeon: Trusting your surgeon and his/her skills is essential to the doctor/patient relationship. If you have concerns relate these to your surgeon and if you have doubts consider switching providers. There may be a variety of reasons why your surgeon chose to forego ointments but you will only know by asking.