Help...

I had my pacemaker rewire done Jan 29. My follow up is next week, however the clear film bandage and steri strips have come loose tonight. The incision looks good and healed. Should I try to tape it back down tonight somehow or is it ok to just remove it?

8 Comments

Remove it

by heckboy - 2009-02-18 10:02:59

That's what I did when mine started to fall off.

YES

by peter - 2009-02-19 02:02:39

Yes . Dont disturb it. Tape it down with some sticky bandage. Dont remove it. Only go to hospital if you think the loose bandage has caused a problem. Cheers Peter

band age & steri strips

by Pookie - 2009-02-19 04:02:30

Hi.

What I did when that happened: I started to take off both and got weak in the knees, but I wanted it off so badly that I went to a walk in clinic and the doctor there removed it. She replaced both the bandage and strips with just a gauze type thing which protected it until my first appointment back at the hospital.

Wouldn't want to see you get an infection.

Personally, I'd tape it down if its bugging you.

Pookie

Hi!

by Loopy Lou - 2009-02-19 06:02:58

Well, perhaps try and leave it?

Although my clear film bandage had to stay on for 10 days and on the day it was due to come off I took it off as I didn't want the nurse pulling it!!!! ha ha ha! Im such a wimp! I admit that I picked around the edges of the bandage - as you do!! I didn't have steristips though, I had stitches with a bead at each end. YUCK!! So I just removed the sticky bandage carefully over the beads! Took me about half hour! then went to the nurse who pulled the stitches out.

I would talk to your clinic and check before you start removing it etc!

Good Luck xxx

Just MHO

by BillMFl - 2009-02-19 07:02:13

Your incision should be pretty well healed by now. I took mine off after about a week and put some anti biotic cream on the incision for about another week. Main thing is not to get it wet until you are sure its healed/sealed. If the wound looks right and tight, then let it air dry especially if there are any scab areas.

call and ask

by Tracey_E - 2009-02-19 10:02:05

I'd tug it the rest of the way off just because half-off would make me insane, but that's just me. :o) Call and ask if it's ok to take it off or if you should leave it alone. I wouldn't tape it back down, it's not meant to be there forever.

Leave it but trim it

by sand dollar - 2009-02-19 12:02:21

Hi,
I would not pull it off as you might pull the healing incision to much. Just take a tiny pair of scissors and sterilize them with alcohol and trim the steri strips close to the skin. They may still be stuck to the incision itself. Best to let the doctor do it. I hear you can get infections weeks and months after it has healed.

up to you

by abreaux - 2009-02-20 01:02:50

Steri-strips tend to come loose when it's about time for them to fall off, or so says my retired surgeon dad. My cardiologist pulled the op-site plastic bandage off the day aftre surgery, but left the steri-strips on. My Dad thinks the operating room dressing should stay on longer, but c'est la guerre.

My cardiologist said not to pull them off, but to let them fall off. I was a couple weeks post-op, and I'm real sensitive to adhesive. (The adhesive from the EKG leads, Holter monitor, and 30-day monitor left doozies of red discs on my chest and back for weeks!) I had gotten to a point where my incision was just fine, but where the steri-strips were stuck to my skin, that skin was starting to break down. I had absolutely no redness/swelling/heat/infection in my incision, but was getting a bad rash at the edges of the steri-strips. We pulled them off a few days before my appointment, so that I could begin tending to the rash and redness from the adhesive, and it was the best thing I could have done. But absent seeing a doctor, you're the best judge. If the incision looks at all open or oozy, leave the steri-strips on, or reapply some very cleanly and carefully.

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My eight year old son had a pacemaker since he was 6 months old. He does very well, plays soccer, baseball, and rides his bike. I am so glad he is not ashamed of his pacemaker. He will proudly show his "battery" to anyone.