Question about steri strips

I'm having a TAH/BSO on June 16. To close my incision, my dr will be using a technique that is one stitch that zig zags back and forth the length of the incision to close it. I'm supposed to go back at 1 week to have that removed.
After that I will not have anything covering my incision. I've seen alot of posts about steri strips, but I was told that I will not have them. Is that normal? Anyone else have an uncovered incision after stitches/staples were taken out?
Thanks,
Cheryl

Hi Cheryl,

It seems that all doctors have their own ways of doing things and they basically do. It can be normal not to have steri-strips. Some incisions are closed with glue, some are stapled, some are stitched and sometimes steri-strips are put on after staple or stitch removal. Everyone is different.

I didn't have an external incision so I don't have personal experience with it. Hopefully, someone who had their incision done like yours will be will be along and share with you.

Best wishes for a successful surgery and recovery!

s

Deb

I had the steri strips, but I'm not sure I needed them. I was stapled and when they stook the staples out (4 days later), the incision was pretty much closed. I think they do it as a precaution sometimes and it might depend on how large your incision is and the type of incision and sewing up your doctor does.

My mom was sewn up and didn't have any strips.

I had staples for 8 days and after they were removed I didn't have anything. I had one spot that was oozing but I just kept gauze on that part.

I had self-dissolving sutures and steri-strips when I woke up in recovery. It was really nice that I didn't have to return to the DR to have anything removed. I was instructed to remove the strips myself after one week. My incision was "stuck together" (sorry for the lack of appropriate medical terms!) very well at the one week point...no need to have anything helping it or covering it. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how quickly the *outside* can heal. Best of luck!

I haven't had my surgery yet (TAH-BSO 6.21.05), but I did have a c-section in March of '04, and I was just glued together. I had a thing that kind of looked like a maxi-pad over my incision while I was in the Castle, but once I came home, I didn't even have that. I had no problems with my incision site. Also, I know that a c-section is not the same as a hysterectomy, but I've been told my TAH-BSO incision will be in basically the same place as my c-section incision. Hope this helps and best of luck!

Kelly

Hi,
Thanks to all of you who replied to my post. I'm glad to know that there are others out there who didn't have the steri strips.....that makes me feel better.
Thanks again,
Cheryl