Why "no lotion" etc day of surgery?

You will be asleep during surgery and unable to notice sticky armpits :-). You can have someone bring in a rollon for later once you're in your room and stuff.

There's something about certain ingredients in those kinds of cosmetics that can interfere with a variety of medical things, particularly imaging protocols. You might be too young to have ever had a mammogram, but you get told to not use certain stuff that day, too, and also with certain other procedures.

Did you get told to bathe like a fiend with an antimicrobial product like Hibiclens? That's common protocol, too, not that you can get completely germ free, of course, but you want to be as clean as possible to start out.

I'm way old enough for mammygrams... lol

I will bathe like a fiend before surgery but wasn't told to. I'm going liquid today even though I don't have to.

I remember one surgery, had a hot flash going in and was damp going in, dry when I woke up. I just stuck the gown as far up in my arm pits as I could so I wouldn't feel the stickiness. silly but...that's me

 You didn't have a pre op diet or cleanse for rny?!?

The nurse who assists my surgeon speaks at 2 support groups I attend monthly.  She has told us more than one time to NOT wear nail polish to hosptial, especially reds and purples. These colors make it so the oxygen sensor on your finger give inaccurate readings. She said they have to keep nail polish remover in a hazardous container cabinet. They have to either remove the polish, or remove the glued on nail for surgery. DAVE

The reason for lotion is that it can carry in bacteria to the OR. You want to be as clean as possible before surgery to keep risk of infection down. Once you have the surgery, lotion and deoderant is not a problem.

Lori H.

Right.  Certain nail colors interfere with the pulse oximeter, so it's esier to just say don't wear any at all.  Excess make-up can make it difficult to secure the ET tube in place, and again just easier to say don't wear any.

We do scrub your tummy with a prep solution just before surgery, but some docs just use a paint instead of a scrub.  If you had lotion or anything else on your skin it doesn't wa**** off and can increase the risk for infection.

Anyone know about toe nail polish?? when I had my hysterectomy I removed my toe nail polish, then wore socks into the OR. LOL Wondering if painted toes will be okay?

I wore socks into surgery. When I work up I was wareing compression stockings. They may not want you to ware that either because they may see it on and feel that it is risky to your surgery. Its not worth the extra hassle. You arnt gonna care what you look like when you are recovering from the surgery.

Take your deodorant. I was able to wear it. Ask when you get there.

Nail polish might have some effect on the oxygen meter they put on your finger.  You don't want lotions getting into your incisions.  Actually, I had to shower twice with an antibacterial wash before i got to the hospital (night before and morning of surgery) and once they wheel you into the OR, you'll realize you don't need deodorant in there -- it's COLD!  Take the deodorant with you, you'll want it after surgery, but the OR is really chilly.  They generally give you a heated blanket so you don't freeze to death.