Question:
How long does it take the Steri Strips to come off?

Should I pick them off? I am 14 days POST OP lap and RNY and they haven't budged.    — Lisa R. (posted on June 13, 2002)

June 12, 2002
I peeled mine off myself at about 10 days post op.
   — Patty H.

June 12, 2002
My surgeon's office recommended we let them come off on their own. They started to peel up from the edges, so I just cut those edges off. My last two steri strips came off at about 1 month.
   — Karla K.

June 13, 2002
Once my steri strips came loose from the incision, I peeled them off the surrounding skin. I figured they weren't holding anything together anymore--they were just clinging to my skin. I took the last one off at about 10-14 days post-op (I don't remember exactly). Be careful, though: the first one I peeled off like a Band-Aid. Big mistake! It took skin with it, and I had what looked like carpet burn next to my incision for a couple of weeks. Peel them off slooooooowly and gently.
   — Kristie B.

June 13, 2002
I was told that I could take them off after about a week but I was too chicken to. ;-) So I waited until my 10 day appt. when my drain came out and the Nurse Pract. take mine off. Get them wet and peel s l o w l y. Good Luck!
   — Leah H.

June 19, 2002
My doc wanted me to wait until they fell off. I saw him at one week post op and one of the incisions was weeping under the steri strips. He took off those strips and sure enough, the incision hadn't closed properly and would need to be dressed with gauze every day. About two days ago (I'm 16 days post op) I decided to remove the rest of the steri strips because they weren't budging. I'm very glad I did, because 2 more of my incisions hadn't closed up as nicely as they should have. They weren't as bad as the first one, but at least I knew there was an issue before it became an infection. I dressed them in gauze for 2 days and now they are fine. My case may be a little different than others, though. My surgery went for 7 hours and the doc says that's why the edges of my skin didn't close up and heal nicely...they were apart for so long they didn't think there was a chance to heal so the cells began to die off. I don't think it's that way with everyone! But you may want to remove them at about 2 weeks, just to check and see how things are progressing. I'm glad I did.
   — Melissa S.