An incision is a "cut" through the skin that is made during surgery. It also called a "surgical wound." Some incisions are small, and others are very long. The size of your incision will depend on the kind of surgery you had.
You may have bruising around your wound. This is normal, and it will go away on its own. The skin around your incision may be a little red. This is normal, too.
DO NOT wear tight clothing that rubs against your incision while it heals.
The sutures (stitches) or staples will be removed about 7 to 10 days after surgery.
DO NOT shower until after your follow-up appointment with your health care provider. When you can shower, let water run over your incision, DO NOT scrub it or let the water beat down on it. DO NOT soak in a bathtub, hot tub, or swimming pool until your doctor tells you to.
Keep your dressing (bandage) on your wound clean and dry.
You may change the dressing every day if your surgeon tells you so. Be sure to change your dressing if it gets dirty or wet.
Follow these steps when you change your dressing:
You see any of these changes around your incision:
The drainage coming from or around your incision:
Your temperature is above 101.5°F (38.6°C) for more than 4 hours.
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