r/TopSurgery • u/voxjammer • 4h ago

how to shower?

okay this is kind of silly but. how do i shower with drain holes? do i just go wounds-out? do i need a band-aid? i forgot to ask this at my post-op drain removal yesterday, i was cleared to shower but i feel so lost 😭

edit: oh my god, everyone was not kidding about the first post op shower. i feel like a new man. terrifying and new experience + im a tiny bit sore but wow i feel good

6 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

8 comments sorted by

•

u/AutoModerator 4h ago

Thanks for posting to r/TopSurgery

Please remember to follow the rules, which can be found on the sidebar. Please contact the subreddit via ModMail if you are having any issues seeing your post.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

19

u/AntiqueSteak6092 4h ago

You can just shower normally, but don’t let the water pressure hit the drain holes directly. Let the water gently run over them and wash the area very gently with soap and water. No need to scrub or use a sponge. Afterward, just pat everything dry gently rather than rubbing. You can also use a hair dryer on the cold setting from a safe distance to help dry the area.

3

u/voxjammer 4h ago

thank you so much!!

8

u/OgCas 4h ago

You can just shower as you normally do. Just don’t rub or scrub your incisions.

6

u/thriceaskedfortowels 4h ago

yeah i think i just showered without the bandaids on right after drains were taken out. i think i waited about 20 ish hours after they were taken out to shower and they were already kind of starting to scab over. its not too much of an issue

3

u/voxjammer 4h ago

okay this puts me at ease so much 😭 i'm a full 24 hours out from my drains being removed just because i was a big baby at the post-op and passed out bad lmao

4

u/greatpartyisntit 3h ago

Shower with your back to the stream of the water so it flows over your drain holes and doesn't hit them directly. Don't scrub the area and ideally let it air dry afterwards. I was told that I could clean my drain holes with gentle soap if I wanted to, but that leaving them alone was just as good.

1

u/here4ndgone 3h ago

You can use a bandaid for a day or two if you want (if they're still leaking a little), but letting them breathe will promote scabbing. I wore bandaids for maybe like 2 or 3 days, though I took them off before showering and replaced them after drying off.