Question:
Is there a good soap to shower with before leaving for the hospital?
I've read other posts about people who used special antibacterial soaps to shower with before they left for their surgery? Is this necessary? My surgeon didn't mention this and I am wondering if I should pick up anything. Would an antibacterial bath soap be beneficial after I come home from the hospital? My surgery is Monday, so I'd have to add it to my last minute shopping list. Thanks everyone! — [Anonymous] (posted on December 8, 2001)
December 8, 2001
My surgeon required us to shower with a soap called "Hibiclense".
(not totally sure of the spelling.) He had us shower with it the night
before and morning of surgery. I found this at Target, behind the Pharmacy
counter. I had to ask for it. Good Luck!!
— skymaxjr
December 8, 2001
My surgeon recommends DIAL, which is convenient since its our regular
brand. Works good after surgery too. Lessens the cance of infection. My
wifes surgery is monday also. I will say a prayer for both of you.
— bob-haller
December 8, 2001
Respectfully I ask why you posted this anymously? Its a non threatening non
embarassing question and wonder since it would be nice to know your name
and post something nice to your surgery page. I hope you do well in surgery
and have a speedy recovery.
— bob-haller
December 8, 2001
My surgeon didn't suggest any special soap for me to use before surgery. I
believe I used whatever kind of bath gel I had at the time. :) As far as
antibacterial soap...that's sort of a waste. Soap doesn't kill
germs...it's the friction of you hands/washcloth rubbing against your skin
that ruptures bacterial cell membranes and kills them. Then the running
water washes them away. :) As long as you scrub yourself thoroughly, I
imagine any kind of soap would be fine (as long as it's not overly
perfume-y.
— [Anonymous]
December 8, 2001
I believe Phisoderm liquid is what I was given to shower with before
gallbladder surgery many years ago, followed with a Betadine scrub. After
my granddads heart surgery the doctor recommened he clean that site with
Basis. Those are 2 that come to my mind. Also, I beg to differ with the
previous poster about anti-bacterial soap. As a lab tech who has studied
bacteriology and worked with microbiology, I trust anti-bacterials are a
key to cutting down on microbes. It is not friction alone which kills
bacteria. Some yes, but one agent used in anti-baterials is alcohol, which
helps decrease bacteria. Take note next time you have a blood draw...you
are swabbed with alcohol, and depending on the test, sometimes even
Betadine. It is the agent, not the swabbing that cleanses the site.
Didn't mean to get on a soapbox - it is just that proper cleansing before
surgery is soooo important to reduce risk of infection.
— VintageChick
December 8, 2001
I was told to get a bottle of Betidyne (<-- spelling) and a bar of
anti-bacterial Dial soap. The night before surgery I was to wash
thoroughly with the Dial Soap and then use 1/2 of a bottle of the other
stuff. Then the next morning I was to repeat this process before heading
out to the hospital. This was the first surgery I was asked to scrub so
well and I can tell you honestly this was the first surgery that I have not
come out with an infection of some sort. Take the extra time and
precautions... hospitals are the one place where you are more likely to
pick up an infection than anywhere else.
— Kellie Jo B.
December 8, 2001
The day you pre-op in the hospital, they give you a surgical scrub to use
the night before surgery and when you're in the hospital they give you a
waterless, spray-on soap that you can use with, or without, a shower.
— blank first name B.
December 8, 2001
Bob,
I don't know why I posted anonymously lol, I just did. Thanks everyone for
the answers, I appreciate it. I was pre-admitted by phone and nothing was
mentioned about showering at all, though I suppose they assume most people
wouldn't go to the OR without showering first lol. I don't like to go the
gas station without showering first. Anyway thanks again for all of your
help.
— Donna L.
December 8, 2001
Donna I was told to shower twice with a new bar of dial, once the night
before and then in the morning. I took long thorough showers that felt good
and helped me relax some before surgery. You are about to get a new
birthday and a better healthier life, congragulations:)
— bob-haller
December 8, 2001
I was given a Scrubber sponge with Antibacterial soap on it.
it is actually the same thing the Doctors use when they are scrubbing to
perform surgery. they told me to tak 2 showers.
one the night before, and the one in the morning I am to use that scrubber
Sponge with the Orange almost Iodine looking soap on my stomach, and chest
area where they will be an inscision.
— sbinkerd1
December 8, 2001
Pacific Bariatrics in San Diego gives patients a bottle of Betadine soap at
the pre-registration the night before surgery. They tell you to scrub the
morning of surgery for 10 minutes. I believe it made a big difference. Not
only did I not pick up any infections, I didn't develop my normal body odor
(I had my surgery on a Thursday, was released on Saturday and had my first
shower on Sunday). Normally I would have been funky by Friday and deadly by
Sunday and I was actually livable :-)
— Cynthia B.
December 9, 2001
Why do some surgeons give their patients special soaps to scrub with? If
it kills germs on the patient's body, then that's good. But if a pre-op
showers with, let's say, betadine soap the morning of her surgery then
drives to the hospital, sits in the waiting room, changes into a gown,
etc., doesn't it seem that showering earlier that day with a special soap
would sort of be a waste? I imagine everything you touch has germs on it.
What if the shirt you're wearing wasn't washed or dryed properly and it
rubs up against your stomach. Or what if your stomach itches and you
scratch it, but you you're not a very clean person, and your fingernails
weren't scrubbed or cleaned properly. Wouldn't that make taking a shower
with special soap useless? I thought to remove germs/bacteria/whatever,
the people in the O.R. wash your abdomen with something before surgery.
AND, many antibacterial soaps ARE useless because the active ingredient
(triclosan) used in SO many antibacterial soaps isn't killing the germs
because the germs are becoming more resistant to it. :P~
— [Anonymous]
December 9, 2001
Better safe than sorry. Of course the OR team does prep your skin by
cleaning it before surgery, however, I am going into the OR as clean as
possible to begin with. Why take chances, it is silly to debate the
effects of cleaning when we all know it cannot hurt and may dramatically
help.
— [Anonymous]
Click Here to Return