How to manage a wet dressing

Accidents happen… this is a fact of life.  But it’s very important that you make sure to take all the precautions for a smooth and easy post operative experience.  You are a team member in your surgical care, although we have had a pleasure of providing you with cutting edge procedures that reduce your post operative recovery time, it is still very important that you play an active role in your care and do what it takes to protect your foot from water and trauma.

Attention!

But it is also important to be know how to respond to a problem if something were to go wrong.  If you get your foot wet by accident, the first thing you need to do is contact me immediately.  This is very important so that I can review some of the goals of the immediate dressing change before you continue with this step.  Once again… DO NOT CONTINUE without having called me first.  During business hours call the office line, and after hours call my mobile number that is on the Emergency Post Op Card you were given on your Pre Op visit.

If your dressing did get wet, the goal is to assess how much of it got soaked through.  I will guide you through this process on the phone.  If we determined that the dressings did not get saturated, then we will use the blow dryer to dry out the dressing.  If however the dressing is completely wet or destroyed, then you will proceed to the changing section of the video below.  Once again, I will determine which steps you need to perform after speaking with you.

If you are watching this video and have talked to me about changing your dressing, you must know that it is important for you to get to the office tomorrow so that I can change your dressing to a better fitting splint type and have the opportunity to assess the incision and the surgical site.  This will insure that the accident did not damage your procedure as well as allow us to intervene early if there is an increased risk for infection.

Key Points

  1. Make sure when using the blow dryer to keep a fair distance from the skin to prevent a burn.
  2. Do not apply the compressive Red Coban too tight that you block off the circulation.  You should not have severe pain with the coban.  If you do it is too tight or your foot is swelling.
  3. If the dressing is going to be changed, try to use gloves to keep everything clean.  These are available at any pharmacy and are available in Non-Latex if you are allergic.
  4. When removing the dressings pay close attention to them and stop when you get to a dry layer.
  5. If you are removing the entire dressing make sure to prevent damage or excess moving at the surgical site.
  6. DO NOT pull the incision margins apart.
  7. When removing the Steri Strips, make sure to remove them PERPENDICULAR to the incision.  That means remove them in a way that the incision does not split open.

If you have any questions about the instructions, please email me directly at: ali@beverlyhillsfootsurgery.com