Post surgery

Hi, I'm new to this group, had my pacemaker implant 20/10/20.   Love reading all the forums it has helped me quiet a lot.  Mine is 4 weeks all tomorrow 17/11/20 still  very painful, the wound is very dry and flakey from the clear skin dressing at the moment, does anyone know if there is anything you can rub into it now. I have ask a chemist but he had no idea. Cheers Wendells


9 Comments

I tried E45 cream

by Gemita - 2020-11-16 06:10:10

Firstly welcome.   Do you still cover with a clear skin dressing at times?  Have you had wound care instructions from your clinic?  Your skin will heal better once all dressing can be removed and wound is exposed to the air.

Once my wound was well healed I used moisturizing, dermatologically tested E45 cream treatment for dry skin conditions.  But most important is to keep wound clean and DRY during healing process to prevent infection.  I would ask your doctor if it is safe to start applying a moisturizing cream now and ask about the need to still keep your wound covered if you are still doing so ?

Also remember to eat well and keep well hydrated and to get plenty of VItamin C to aid skin healing.

moisturizing

by Tracey_E - 2020-11-16 10:35:15

I had a plastic surgeon tell me she could sell me something fancy and expensive but anything all natural will do. Vitamin e, aloe, cocoa butter- just make sure it doesn't have dyes or preservatives. 

Moisturizer

by AgentX86 - 2020-11-16 20:41:06

At four weeks, pretty much any skin moisturizer will work.  You're far enough along (or better be) on the road to healing that any moisturizer will be fine.  Use what you normally would.

Clear skin dressing

by Wendells - 2020-11-17 06:40:12

I still have the original clear skin dressing that was put on after my op, it is slowly starting to flake off, I normally let water run over it in the shower, have washed it a few times with a antibactirial soap. But just seems to be taking so. Am I rushing things? Or should it be all gone by now.

No you are not rushing things !

by Gemita - 2020-11-17 08:26:15

. . . original clear skin dressing that was put on after op . . . 

a month ago still being present doesn't sound right to me at all and I would gently remove all traces of it without pulling on the incision or opening it up.  I would gently clean the area of any remaining old dressing.  No wonder you are flaking.  Everything should heal much faster without traces of this old, potentially germ laden skin dressing.  I can remember mine coming off after five days and my husband's after a week at most.

As long as your wound is well sealed and not unduly swollen or inflammed, you should be well on the way to healing.  Just keep looking out for signs of infection like inflammation, swelling, oozing/opening of the wound, pain and report any symptoms that you are worried about.

clear skin dressing

by Tracey_E - 2020-11-17 11:15:01

The last time I had it, it took a little over 4 weeks to come off. Don't scrub at it, it will come off on its own. Eventually lol. 

Dressing

by AgentX86 - 2020-11-17 14:46:56

Mine was coming off by the wound check at about ten days. The nurse pulled the rest off to look at the wound itself, saying that it was better to expose it to the air after that and not to replace the dressing.

Thank you

by Wendells - 2020-11-18 06:03:23

Thanks everyone, today I did try to peel  some off but it is pretty well stuck. lol

As I have not had any contact from my surgeon since the day I was released from the hospital, I seen my GP 1 week after Op and all looked good, so maybe I will just go see him again. Cheers

Change of dressing and PM checking

by amanda_shanti - 2020-11-19 04:52:10

My cardiologist asked me to go back to her clinic 2 weeks after the surgery, to check my wound and replace the clear skin dressing. She also did the PM checking for me and fine tuning the setting.

Maybe you could check with your Cardiologist/doctor and see whether it's time to go back and conduct all the things (wound and PM checking)?

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