Mercy Neurosurgery of North IowaBrain, spine & nerve surgery · Mason City, IowaCall 641-428-7847
Draft: this guide is being reviewed by our surgeons. Always follow the instructions your care team gives you.

Caring for Your Incision

Your incision is the cut the surgeon made. Good care helps it heal well and lowers the chance of infection.

Every day

  • Wash your hands with soap and water before and after you touch the incision or bandage.
  • Look at your incision once a day. A mirror or a helper can make this easier. Look for the warning signs below.
  • Keep it clean and dry. Change the bandage only the way you were told.
  • Do not put anything on it, like lotion, cream, powder, or ointment, unless your surgeon tells you to.

Showering and bathing

  • Ask your surgeon when you may shower. When you do, let the water run over the incision. Do not scrub it.
  • Pat the incision dry with a clean towel.
  • Do not soak the incision. No baths, hot tubs, or swimming pools until your surgeon says the incision is fully healed.

Stitches, staples, and glue

  • Staples or stitches that need to come out are usually removed at your follow-up visit, often 10 to 14 days after surgery.
  • Skin glue or thin tape strips (Steri-Strips) fall off on their own in 1 to 2 weeks. Do not pull them off.
  • Dissolving stitches under the skin do not need to be removed.

What healing looks like

Left: a healing incision is a thin closed line with a little pink next to it. Right: warning signs are spreading redness, swelling, gaps, and thick yellow-green drainage.

Normal

  • A little pink color right next to the cut
  • A small amount of clear or light pink fluid in the first few days
  • Mild itching as it heals
  • A firm ridge under the scar

Call us

  • Redness that spreads or gets darker
  • Swelling, warmth, or pain that gets worse
  • Thick yellow, green, or bad-smelling drainage
  • The edges of the incision pull apart
  • Clear, watery fluid that keeps leaking
  • A fever of 101°F (38.3°C) or higher

Protect your scar

New scars burn easily. After the incision is healed, cover it or use sunscreen when you are outside for the first year.

Your care team's instructions come first.This page is general information. If anything here is different from what your surgeon or nurse told you, follow their instructions.