Question About Bandages
Tomorrow I will be one week post surgery and starting full liquid (Doing a happy dance).
They really didnt give me much information about my bandages. I have steri strips ontop of my inscisions and then a gause bandage over that. They told me that they would fall off in time.
I am allowed to shower and I was told just to turn my back to the spray so it wasnt constantly hitting the dressings. The first bandage started to come off the second day and it was pulling on the steri strips so I covered that one with a new bandage. Now the rest of them are starting to come off. Has enough time passed for me to just let this happen or should I try and recover the steri strips with new bandages?
Diane
This is just my opinion - I am not a medical professional.
I say the longer they (the stero-strips) can stay on the better. I replaced my gause every day after my shower and I immediatley wore the binder/girtle (sp?). Even when all the sterostrips fell off I'd put on gauze and wear the binder. I did *not* cover the area where the sterostrips were with a bandade once they fell off - I think I was told that was not a good idea.
One month post-op I still had some stero-strips.
Two months post-op they were all gone.
I think my sterstrips stayed on longer because I shaved my incision area the day before surgery so that Dr. Marymor would have a clean surface to work with. He did not ask - I was just thinking ahead. Anyways, my hair started to grow back and I think acted kind of like "velcro" and pierced through the stereostrips and actually held them on longer than normal. When I used to shower I'd cover my incision area with my hand to reduce the changes of my shower prying them off. As you know - they are kinda overlaid and if one starts to pry off the bottom one will as well.
I say do what you can to keep them on (don't replace sterostrips with bandades) but if they are falling off without you picking at them or forcing them off with water from the shower then no worries.
-GD
I say the longer they (the stero-strips) can stay on the better. I replaced my gause every day after my shower and I immediatley wore the binder/girtle (sp?). Even when all the sterostrips fell off I'd put on gauze and wear the binder. I did *not* cover the area where the sterostrips were with a bandade once they fell off - I think I was told that was not a good idea.
One month post-op I still had some stero-strips.
Two months post-op they were all gone.
I think my sterstrips stayed on longer because I shaved my incision area the day before surgery so that Dr. Marymor would have a clean surface to work with. He did not ask - I was just thinking ahead. Anyways, my hair started to grow back and I think acted kind of like "velcro" and pierced through the stereostrips and actually held them on longer than normal. When I used to shower I'd cover my incision area with my hand to reduce the changes of my shower prying them off. As you know - they are kinda overlaid and if one starts to pry off the bottom one will as well.
I say do what you can to keep them on (don't replace sterostrips with bandades) but if they are falling off without you picking at them or forcing them off with water from the shower then no worries.
-GD
Diane,
I did not have any bandages over my steri strips at all.
I would think a week is fine to go without putting the bandages on. My steri strips were off by 2nd week post op.
You can double check with your surgeon which is always the best idea...but I think you should be fine.
Pam
PS: If the gauze is getting wet in the shower - I would take them off completely or change them after the shower. Even if they are just moist. For wound healing in general, it's not a good idea to keep the area wet with bandages.
I did not have any bandages over my steri strips at all.
I would think a week is fine to go without putting the bandages on. My steri strips were off by 2nd week post op.
You can double check with your surgeon which is always the best idea...but I think you should be fine.
Pam
PS: If the gauze is getting wet in the shower - I would take them off completely or change them after the shower. Even if they are just moist. For wound healing in general, it's not a good idea to keep the area wet with bandages.
Instead of complaining that the rosebush has thorns, be happy that the thorn bush has roses. 
I didnt have gauze on my steri strips either when i came home. They actually removed them the day after my surgery in the hospital. i told that if they didnt fall off by themselves in 10 days to take them off. well i had to take mine off. i was scared of what i was going to see but they looked pretty damn good. but i guess all docs are different so i would suggest asking yours.
Hello Diane,
My steri strips are coming loose as we speak. lol I had one spot with a gauze pad. They told me to keep that one covered for 3 days. I could uncover in shower and re cover clean gauze.
After 3 days didnt need to cover anymore. The little steri strips are coming off a little at a time. Dr said that is fine.
JoAnn
My steri strips are coming loose as we speak. lol I had one spot with a gauze pad. They told me to keep that one covered for 3 days. I could uncover in shower and re cover clean gauze.
After 3 days didnt need to cover anymore. The little steri strips are coming off a little at a time. Dr said that is fine.
JoAnn
JoAnn
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