Patient Instructions
Postoperative Wound Care
These are the usual wound-care instructions for patients of Blythe Orthopedics & Spine. Your hospital discharge instructions and any specific directions given by Dr. Blythe take priority because wound care may vary by procedure.
Questions about your wound? Call the office directly.
405-418-45001The First 72 Hours
Leave the original surgical dressing in place for 72 hours after surgery.
- Keep the dressing clean and dry.
- Do not remove the dressing simply to inspect the incision.
- Do not shower with the incision exposed during this period.
- If the dressing becomes wet, loose, dirty, or repeatedly saturated with drainage, replace it with a clean, dry dressing and contact the office if drainage continues.
A small amount of spotting on the first dressing may occur. Drainage should decrease, not increase, with time.
2Beginning on the Fourth Day
Unless you were given different instructions:
- Remove the postoperative dressing.
- Shower normally, allowing clean water and mild soap to run gently over the incision.
- Do not scrub the incision or direct a forceful stream of water onto it.
- Pat the incision completely dry with a clean towel.
- Lightly paint the incision with Betadine and allow it to dry.
- Cover it with a clean, dry Band-Aid or dressing.
Repeat this process once daily until your first postoperative wound check, unless Dr. Blythe gives you different instructions. Showers are permitted after the initial dressing period, but soaking a surgical incision can interfere with healing.
3Absorbable Sutures
Most smaller and minimally invasive incisions are closed with absorbable sutures beneath the skin. These sutures dissolve gradually and do not need to be removed. Your incision may also have skin glue or Steri-Strips.
- Do not pull, peel, or pick at the glue or Steri-Strips.
- Allow them to loosen and come off naturally.
- Do not pull on a piece of suture that becomes visible through the skin.
- Contact the office if a suture end becomes irritating or the incision begins to separate.
4Nylon Sutures
Revision operations and larger incisions may be closed with visible nylon sutures.
- Nylon sutures must be removed in the office.
- Do not cut or remove them yourself.
- Continue the same daily shower, Betadine, and clean-dressing routine.
- Sutures are generally evaluated at the first postoperative wound check.
- Larger or revision incisions may require the sutures to remain in place longer, depending on healing.
Nonabsorbable sutures should be removed by the surgical team rather than by the patient.
5Do Not Soak the Incision
Do not submerge the incision until it is completely healed and you have been cleared by Dr. Blythe. This includes:
- Bathtubs
- Hot tubs
- Swimming pools
- Lakes, ponds, or rivers
Do not apply peroxide, rubbing alcohol, antibiotic ointment, lotion, cream, powder, or another wound product unless specifically instructed. Use Betadine as directed above.
Contact the Office
Call Blythe Orthopedics & Spine at 405-418-4500 for any of the following:
- Fever greater than 101.5 degrees F
- Chills or flu-like symptoms
- Increasing redness, warmth, swelling, or tenderness
- Pain at the incision that is worsening rather than improving
- Persistent or increasing drainage
- Yellow, green, cloudy, bloody, or foul-smelling drainage
- A dressing that repeatedly becomes saturated
- New drainage after the incision had previously been dry
- Separation or opening of the incision
- A loose or broken nylon suture
- Any concern that the wound does not look right
Increasing pain, redness, swelling, skin-color change, fever, or drainage can indicate a wound complication and should be reported promptly.
Seek Emergency Care Immediately
Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department for:
- Difficulty breathing or swallowing
- Rapidly increasing swelling of the neck after cervical surgery
- Uncontrolled bleeding
- Chest pain or shortness of breath
- New or rapidly worsening arm or leg weakness
- New loss of bowel or bladder control
- Loss of feeling around the groin or inner thighs
- Any other severe or rapidly worsening postoperative symptom
Do not use an online appointment request for an urgent postoperative problem. Call the office directly at 405-418-4500. Medical emergencies should be directed to 911 or the nearest emergency department.
Frequently Asked Questions
When can I remove my surgical dressing?
Leave the original dressing in place for 72 hours, unless your discharge paperwork gives different instructions. Remove it on the fourth day.
When can I shower?
You may generally shower after the dressing has remained in place for 72 hours. Let water run gently over the incision, do not scrub it, and pat it dry afterward.
Do my sutures need to be removed?
Absorbable sutures do not require removal. Visible nylon sutures must be removed by the office when the incision is ready.
How long should I use Betadine and a clean dressing?
Continue the daily shower, Betadine, and clean-dressing routine until your first postoperative wound check or until Dr. Blythe tells you it is no longer necessary.
Can I leave the incision uncovered?
Keep it covered with a clean, dry dressing during the early healing period, particularly while there is drainage, while nylon sutures remain present, or when clothing could rub against it. Dr. Blythe will tell you when it can remain open to air.
Is a small amount of drainage normal?
A small amount of early blood-tinged spotting may occur. Drainage that persists, increases, develops an odor, changes color, or returns after the incision was dry should be reported.
Ready for Your Postoperative Visit?
Your first postoperative wound check is an important milestone. Contact the office to confirm your appointment or ask any questions about your recovery.