Is SHOWERING ok?
 

I've heard mixed reports on this. My Surgeon, Dr. Zeegers, my friend who is a Dermatologist, and the Dermatologist that I saw yesterday all say it's OK.
My wife's family, several of whom are health care professionals, all insist that it is NOT OK.
What have all of you heard, from DOCTORS?

I had cervical adr, which is a much smaller incision. I showered with tape over the incision, 2 days post op.

I was showering, with assistance, while still in the hospital. Be sure to change the dressing when done.

if your doctors said
 

It's ok to shower and whether or not you can get the site wet or not then you can go ahead. I was an RN/NP for years and I tend to follow the directions given to me by the physican/surgeon/specialist esp if it makes sense. You can cover the wound site (how's the infection?) if necessasry w/something like saran wrap (that's what I did) altho it got wet anyway.

Hmm.. have to insert here I just read what you wrote re the size of your wound increasing and the "hole" created there so I'm wondering about that now.. you best keep a very good eye on that as it may well lead you back into the hospital if it has to be addressed to assist with wound care. I can definately see where your family of health care professionals are concerned. I wrote the rest before I saw what you wrote on the other post so take it all with a grain of salt. What has your surgeon said?

A wet dressing is usually a hotbed for growth of "stuff" so as mentioned you'd want to change the dressing if it gets wet or if you have one at this time. You have to keep the area clean and dry tho it looks like you're really going to have to watch how it's healing re opening up more. Please do that.

It might be that some gentle cleansing of the site is permissable altho it's all in accordance to what your doctors have stated or recommended.

Are you still on antibiotics? I know you don't want to go against what your family members advise so you will have to make this determination and again exercise caution with whatever you do.
Good luck, take care and hope your incision site will start to heal/close. Please keep us posted.

I've had three cervical neck surgeries and showered the very nexk day after both. They just did not want me to rub the site. Pat dry only.Just let the water and soap run down over it but do not scrub or rub it until it heals over some. This may take several weeks....Did they not give you post op instructions?

After my lumbar surgery I took of bandage and covered with a clear shoerbandage (in Germany) and showered. The first time the second day. I think after 2 weeks no more coverings as everything was healing up.

My cervical surgery it was no problem literally right afterwards. keep dry.

My spine surgeon has always glued me together and said ok to showers before i leave the hospital.
this last time he was not sure at first how he was going to allow me to take a shower, but came in the next day and i had a shower plastic neck brace and my neck/thoracic for the rest of the time. He does not want me to be without a brace for even a minute. That was a cervical osteotomy and redu fusion.

Thoracic /lumbar osteotomy i could shower before i left for home too.
judy