Not allowed to shower for 4 weeks?

I went for my post op 1 week appointment and had steri strips and dressings taken off. The nurse said my scars looked great and were healing well. She then put a dressing over the top (basically a large plaster) of each incision. I said shall I remove these when I shower and she said I can't shower for 4 weeks! I was shocked as I expected to shower. I have been sent away with loads of these big plasters and only allowed sink washing? 

Has anyone else had this as it seems a bit extreme to me??

I'm desperate to shower, I feel so grubby. 

X

Unfortunately, if that's what the surgeon wants, that's what you gotta do. 4 weeks does seem long, but you don't want to go against their wishes. Doesn't mean you cant have shallow baths and wet wipe washes. Not the best of solutions, but it'll get you through.

Yeah the shallow baths are a good idea, it's just I feel grubby. I have a friend who had the same procedure on the same day at the same hospital with the same surgeon, but she was told by her nurse that she is allowed to shower now. Just seems a bit odd :(

Hmmmmm, it doesn't really sound right Gabriella for normal healing. Generally you're given the get go for showering straight away for those with waterproof dressings. And for those with regular dressings then at your one week check up it's not unusual to be requested to not shower for a further week and to have your dressings reapplied. But you are requested to come back the next week for another check up to see how things are going on and then given further post-op advise. This is how it's always been for all I've read here as well as my own treatments in the five years I've been here. 

Are you sure you heard right though - 4 weeks? 


I'd give another call to the clinic just to sure you did hear right Gabriella. There's just something not right. 

Are you supposed to change the dressing after showering for a further four weeks?  

I couldn't shower for a very long time Gabriella, but this was due to me having an infection so I needed to keep my wounds dry. Your clinic nurse has already told you you're healing well, so...if all is fine I'd personally be asking for 'a reason' why you're unable to shower for that long if your healing is going so well. 

Please let us know how it goes Gariella. Xx

I completely agree cookie, I've read lots on this forum and no one has had to wait four weeks. I definitely don't have an infection as she said it all looks really good. My mum was there and even asked if the incisions could open and my nurse said no as they are now re joined. 

She definitely said 4 weeks as when I was shocked and said I was desperate for a shower she said I could use a flannel and have a shallow bath, but not to get the incisions wait. 

I know it's not wise going against what you've been told, but I'm tempted to wait another week and then take a shower because it's very difficult and time consuming hand washing. I just don't feel clean. 

X

Yeh, reading again, if she says they're healing well, then why no shower for 4 weeks? Worth calling and double checking. I could shower after one, but had to change my steri strips after getting them wet each time for the following week, maybe that's what she meant as Cookie suggests above. Did she give you further dressings at all?

*wet

Yes I've been given about 20 dressings, so with showers I guess that would be 10 days worth. X

I hope you get a different answer when you ring back, 4 weeks is an awfully long time!

I'm 10 days post op now, so maybe I will wait one more week just to be on the safe side and then have a shower and use the dressings I've been given, to put on afterwards. A month of no showers is surely not plausible! 

Thanks for all your replies girls xx

Please don't shower at all if you 'think' you were told not to shower for a month Gabriella. 

It so, so important you follow YOUR post-op advise. It takes minutes to call the clinic and check on the advise you were given. 

Should you not check and go ahead and shower when you've been specifically asked not to A) this could possibly result in infection if the nurse suspected anything, and B) your aftercare could be made void leaving you to find the funds of anything that might need fixing. 

So you can see Gabriella how important it is to get YOUR instructions in writing in your notes. Whether you made the mistake in hearing her, or she made a mistake in the advise given, or it may be that this, regardless of it not being the 'norm' is what's wanted for you.  So do always follow what's written in your notes hun. Xx

Thanks cookie, I'll call first thing tomorrow morning. I'm sorry I'm just being impatient I know, I definitely don't want to void my aftercare package. 

I'll let you know what they say when I ring :) 

Xx

Thanks sweetie  And don't worry - we're ALL impatient through our recoveries  X

Does sound a long time but if that's what you were told then it's important to listen to it x

Wowza that is a looong time! Let us know what they say when you call back and I would just politely ask why you have to wait so long when your friend had exactly the same with same surgeon on same day and she can shower right away. I went for my 2nd consultation friday and wanted to check how long I had to wait to showe and I asked if it was a week and he said 48 hours is fine! Bearing in mind your 10 days post op seems a very long time, bless ya x

Hi everyone,

So I rang my clinic this morning and apparently it is just what my surgeon Mr Meleagros says for all of his patients. The nurse gave me no reason why, even though I asked, but just that the surgeon said they can't get wet for 4 weeks.

It's so infuriating as I know people who had mr meleagros on the same day as me and are already showering. I feel so horrid, another 20 days without a shower!

Oh bless ya hun. It is odd but if thats what he wants and expects then you got to go with it. Just stick to the shallow baths and im sure youll be fine x

My surgeon has told me I can shower the day after I get home as will be fully waterproofed just no rubbing of the scars and just to let the water run over me. It is very strange that the same surgeon is saying different things to different patients but he must have his reasons!

it is so frustrating when you are told one thing and another girl the other, even worse when its the same surgeon

maybe he seen that your incistions were diff from any others he has done for whatever reason and therefore he thinks its best for YOU to wait 4 weeks

I was the same was AGES after BA for my shower and I had to just have shallow baths, well as deep as I could without touching the breast area

better to play safe than risk an infection xx

after my one week check up today am allowed to shower and have nothin over the incition xx

It's really frustrating when your PS says different things to different people, but remember that your aftercare is specific to you.

I hated not being able to shower until my dressings were removed at 1 week so you have my sympathies.

4 weeks will be over before you know it, keep positive!

gabriella101 wrote:Hi everyone,

So I rang my clinic this morning and apparently it is just what my surgeon Mr Meleagros says for all of his patients. The nurse gave me no reason why, even though I asked, but just that the surgeon said they can't get wet for 4 weeks.

Your nurse fed you absolute rubbish! But as you said, you already know ladies using the same surgeon and they're able to shower. 

I've been here 5 years and never once has Mr Meleagros ever requested his patient not shower for four weeks.  I'd request an appointment with 'your surgeon' and ask 'him' the reason why you cannot shower for so long. 

The only women so long without showering are those having wound difficulties and you already know that's not the case for you, so I'd be asking Gabriella....what difficulties does 'he' think you have that you're unable to take a shower for 4 weeks when the clinic nurse assessed your wounds and said they're healing well???

In the meantime Gabriella, don't shower as they requested until you've seen him. 

Which clinic is this? Xxx

With cookie on this one, not once have I seen any of his patients come through here with a 4wk shower ban. Definitely try and get hold of him directly to absolutely confirm it for you, coz it sounds like bs to me

Thanks girls, well to top this off, I've noticed a stitch poking through my incision this morning. Just waiting for a call back from the hospital now. Has anyone else experienced this? X

The clinic I'm with is the Reading clinic. 4 weeks is ridiculous I totally agree, I'm not really sure how to contact my surgeon though? I guess I would have to call the London riverside hospital and ask if he's free. I will try that when I know about this stitch.

Come to the conclusion that plastic surgery most definitely isn't for the feint hearted! Xxx