How to know when to remove steri-strips from sternotomy incision?

[Ella4hubby]

Sorry if this is already answered elsewhere, but couldn't find anything on this subject. Feel a bit stupid asking but, here goes:

My husband is sitting at almost 3 weeks post-surgery (mitral valve replacement with full sternotomy) and the nurse at the clinic that removed his staples and applied steri-strips last week told us to keep the steri-strips on for 7-10 days.

Today (Monday) was 7 days...didn't get to it today for various reasons, but wondering how to decide when to remove them. The wound itself has been clean and dry since the day they removed the first dressing (about day 2 or 3 after surgery). The staples came out without any problem and the nurse said the incision looked clean at that point. Is it dangerous to leave the incision with out "support" from the steri-strips at this point? How do we know when it is ok?

Thanks for any input here...

 

[Guyswell]

About two weeks after my surgery, and after a few showers, the adhesive on my steri-strips started turning gummy and the steri-strips weren't doing anything useful, so I peeled them off. Unless your husband is slow to heal due to age or diabetes, I can't imagine why he needed steri-strips after the staples. When they start to loosen, just take them off.

 

[Jkm7]

Both my surgeries I was closed with glue and steri-strips.
I was told to shower, wash my incision and pat dry. If they did not come off on their own by 10 days, I was instructed to remove them. First surgery, they all came off on their own at about 8 days.

Second surgery, the bottom half fell off but the top half did not. I showered and while they were wet, I gently lifted them from the sides and they came off easily. I was squeamish about having to take them off but as it turned out, it was painless and very, very easily done.

They can cause infection if left on too long.

 

[Ella4hubby]

Well hello there...I guess I should give a follow up to my question about timing of removal of steri-strips. I rechecked our little "manual" guide-book given to us by our hospital and the protocol where my husband had his surgery is: staples for 10 days followed by steri-strips for 7 days or so. My husband does not have diabetes or other issue that would cause possible poor wound healing, so it was not a recommendation specific to his condition.

End of story is I removed my husband's steri-strips on the 8th day after the staples removal. As I mentioned all was clean and dry--no signs of infection present. I removed all 19 of the little critters and my husband only winced a bit as he lost some more chest hairs!!

Just a note for anyone reading this and facing the removal of steri-strips: as others have mentioned many strips will loosen with showers and time. But just be careful as you take them off, to first loosen the two outer edges on each side of each strip, before gently pulling off at the middle incision line. If any of the tissue is not quite sealed, yanking the strip from one side to the other could encourage more separation of the two sides of the incision. Most times this should not be an issue if the scar is fairly well healed by the time you get to taking the strips off. But just something to consider...

 

[Bina]

You were wise to help those little strips to come off. I left mine on too long and they did get gummy, made cleaning difficult, and caused me to have a surface infection which was
a nuisance to get rid of.

 

[Ella4hubby]

You were wise to help those little strips to come off. I left mine on too long and they did get gummy, made cleaning difficult, and caused me to have a surface infection which was
a nuisance to get rid of.

Oh, Bina that must not have been fun! I didn't realize that it could cause an infection, though someone else mentioned that possibility here.

One other comment on getting rid of sticky residue or leftover "goo" from dressings, bandages and steri-strips: once those coverings are removed, you can simply clean off the sticky residue with simple rubbing alcohol. You can use a pre-packaged alcohol swab if you have it, or else dab some rubbing alcohol onto a clean cotton puff, and then just rub the sticky stuff off of the skin. Do be careful not to get alcohol onto or into the healing wound, be it chest incision or holes from chest tubes, because if they are at all open that will sting. Just make a wide berth around the actual wound and just apply to the unbroken skin that is sticky.

A blood technician gave me this trick when I happened to mention that we were having a hard time getting the gooey stuff off and my dh was getting a bit of a rash from all the residue left on his skin from the big bandage used to cover the chest tube wounds.

 

[Jkm7]

I found a cotton ball with baby oil was gentle and effective at removing the residue of the adhesives.

 

[virginian777]

yep baby oil and cotton ball works great i had glue residue all over me because the leads kept coming off so the nurse used tape from hell to hold them on.

 

[Ella4hubby]

I found a cotton ball with baby oil was gentle and effective at removing the residue of the adhesives.

yep baby oil and cotton ball works great i had glue residue all over me because the leads kept coming off so the nurse used tape from hell to hold them on.

Thanks Jkm7 and virginian777 for your suggestion of baby oil--definitely would be gentler to take the residue off, and adding some much needed moisture at the same time.

And virginian777, yes I somtimes wonder if nurses realize what we will have to contend with once home. I guess they are just focused on what needs to be done, as in keep those leads connected whatever it takes!!...which is probably a good thing--you definitely want them to know if your heart is acting up or getting into some sort of trouble.

 

[Ella4hubby]

Just an added tidbit here...not quite on the same subject but since about 3 weeks post surgery, my dh and I have noticed that his skin is flaking off, not just around obvious wounds or where the different tapes/bandages were, but basically his whole chest and part of his abdominal area. Not rashy or itchy at this point, but just small little flakes. Have a feeling his body is saying: "I did not like what all was done here, not one little bit. Out with the old skin and in with the new skin!"

Or perhaps it has to do with where they painted his chest and abdomen with the betadine--he did come out of surgery looking like they had a hey-day slopping on that stuff! At least he did not pick up an infection so I guess it all worked.

 

[Bracken]

On the off topic, I was surprised by the quantity of adhesives and sticky stuff ALL over me coming out of surgery. It took about 10 days before I got it all.

As for the steri-strips, my surgeon advised me to peel them off at the two week mark, if they didn't come off on their own prior to that. This past Monday was my two week anniversary. My wife slowly peeled them off for me. I noticed this morning that there was a little sticky residue left. I'll use the cotton ball and baby oil technique.

 

[ski girl]

Steri strips??? I didn't have them for either of my surgeries. I'm not entirely sure how I was held together, but 24hrs post-op they removed the bandage covering the incision and that was the end of it. Maybe some sort of magic . . . .

 

[Ella4hubby]

Steri strips??? I didn't have them for either of my surgeries. I'm not entirely sure how I was held together, but 24hrs post-op they removed the bandage covering the incision and that was the end of it. Maybe some sort of magic . . . .

Haha ski girl! maybe magic...but more likely they used a special glue. Some hospitals use that, so no need for stitches, staples or such. Lucky you!

 

[Jkm7]

Both my surgeries I was closed with the glue and it made for amazingly disappearing scars. Both times, they placed a row of steristrips over the incision and as I noted above, I left the hospital with them and they came off/I removed them with no difficulty. Thankfully, no staples or stitches.

 

[Bina]

I also had many areas of red, itchy, or flaking skin due to being sensitive to glues, tapes, etc. My nurse daughter brought me something called "Norm L" gel which was fantastic !