Skin wounds are a side effect of most operations still and cause many of the symptoms and complications a surgeon will see.  Surprisingly little is written about the care of wounds following surgery but early intervention or an infected wound can avoid problems later.  If your wound becomes redder and more painful in the days following surgery then please contact your consultant’s secretary who may be able to arrange an early appointment in clinic.  If the wound is not improving, by painlessly opening part of the wound any infection can escape and allow the wound to heal.  Antibiotics can be useful if the redness is spreading and getting more tender.

Bathing and Showering

It is safe to get your wound wet with a shower a few days after your operation.  However, long soaking baths should be avoided for at least three weeks as the wound will become soft and the scab may become infected.  Adding salt to the bath will not help heal the wound and may make your skin dry and tight.  After washing, pat the wound dry with a clean towel.

Dressings and Stitches

You should try and keep the dressings on the wound dry for two or three days.  If they become dirty or start to fall off they can be removed and it is not normally necessary to cover the wound.  All the original dressings should be removed on the third day.  A light dressing to protect clothes from the wound may be worn.  Usually the skin stitches will be under the skin and do not have to be removed.  The wounds will be uncomfortable for four or five days, but after seven days most patients find they have minimal discomfort.  The general wound thickening under the skin may take up to three months to resolve and the red line of the scar will usually become pale after 9 months.

Glue

For some wounds a dressing can be avoided all together by using glue which stays on the site of the cut preventing bacteria from getting under the skin edges.

See Through (Opsite) Dressings

If the dressing around the outside of your would is see-through it means it is waterproof and you can have short baths or showers from the day after
surgery.