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steri-strips....when do they come off???

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  • steri-strips....when do they come off???

    Im almost 4 weeks post op & almost all of my strips are still on. There are some that are loosing up, but for the most part, they are still intact. Am I supposed to take them off at this point or leave them? I cant imagine having to pull them off as my back is superduper overly sensitive, and Paul did take one off last week while I was in the shower & it really felt like he ripped layers of skin from my back..it was horrible!! What did everyone do?
    Lynn -30.... something
    DxD @ 8 yrs old: 10* curve-no brace-no nothin'!
    At age 26: Thorasic 48*/Lumbar 50*
    At age 34: Thorasic 58*/Lumbar 60*
    Posterior T5-L4 Fusion Jan 14th, 2009 w/Dr Tribus
    UW Madison, WI Hospital
    **AFTER: less than 10* Thorasic/15* Lumbar**

  • #2
    My surgeon removed the loose ones at my 2 week check up. My daughters had been putting alcohol on them as instructed by the home health nurse. As they loosened up they removed them. I was allergic to the glue on the steri- strips and the nurse brought an adhesive remover from the hospital to remove all of the glue so the rash would go away.
    Geish
    47 years old, dx at 13
    +30* to the right, +60* to the left, +30* to the right
    Surgery 12-13-07 - fusion from T4 to sacrum.


    http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...tachmentid=267 Pre surgery
    http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...tachmentid=268 Post surgery
    http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t...s/DSC01091.jpg Xray from the side
    http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t...1089-1-1-1.jpg Xray from the back

    Comment


    • #3
      My daughter's were on for about 7 weeks. At that point, I told her I had to remove them or a nurse would at her check-up. She chose me. Carmell has mentioned sometime ago a cream that you can put on the steri-strips (sorry I don't remember what it was) before bed and the strips come off easily the next morning. I ended up using a spray bottle of water to soak the strips and they came off easily.

      Mary Lou
      Mom to Jamie age 21-diagnosed at age 12-spinal fusion 12/7/2004-fused from T3-L2; and Tracy age 19, mild Scoliosis-diagnosed at age 18.

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by Geish View Post
        My surgeon removed the loose ones at my 2 week check up. My daughters had been putting alcohol on them as instructed by the home health nurse. As they loosened up they removed them. I was allergic to the glue on the steri- strips and the nurse brought an adhesive remover from the hospital to remove all of the glue so the rash would go away.
        2 week check up? Wow! I dont have my 1st post op check-up til March 5th...which is 7 weeks post op. I sure hope mine are off by then, cuz like I said I will not let anyone take them off....it hurts way too bad. I sure hope this super sensitivity over my entire back goes away! I cant imagine never having it be normal again....ughh.....
        Lynn -30.... something
        DxD @ 8 yrs old: 10* curve-no brace-no nothin'!
        At age 26: Thorasic 48*/Lumbar 50*
        At age 34: Thorasic 58*/Lumbar 60*
        Posterior T5-L4 Fusion Jan 14th, 2009 w/Dr Tribus
        UW Madison, WI Hospital
        **AFTER: less than 10* Thorasic/15* Lumbar**

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by LynnMarie74 View Post
          Im almost 4 weeks post op & almost all of my strips are still on. . . What did everyone do?
          You can use some alcohol based hand cleaner--the foaming kind. It will loosen the adhesive, but if you get it directly on your scabs, it may burn a little.

          p

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by Snoopy View Post
            My daughter's were on for about 7 weeks. At that point, I told her I had to remove them or a nurse would at her check-up. She chose me. Carmell has mentioned sometime ago a cream that you can put on the steri-strips (sorry I don't remember what it was) before bed and the strips come off easily the next morning. I ended up using a spray bottle of water to soak the strips and they came off easily.

            Mary Lou

            Mary Lou--you would think the showers would help loosen the glue. Im pretty sure my surgeon will want to see underneath & will take them off for me...but its just to painful to do it at this point. I will google the creme you are talking about....thanks.
            Lynn -30.... something
            DxD @ 8 yrs old: 10* curve-no brace-no nothin'!
            At age 26: Thorasic 48*/Lumbar 50*
            At age 34: Thorasic 58*/Lumbar 60*
            Posterior T5-L4 Fusion Jan 14th, 2009 w/Dr Tribus
            UW Madison, WI Hospital
            **AFTER: less than 10* Thorasic/15* Lumbar**

            Comment


            • #7
              I had mine for about 6 weeks. Right before my 6 week appointment they all fell off within a few days. If yours are loosening up they should come off soon.
              25 years old
              double 70+ degree curves before surgery
              Anterior on 11/11/08
              Posterior on 12/2/08 with titanium rods
              nearly perfect correction
              fused t-10 to pelvis
              with a hemi-vertebral osteotomy at L4

              Broke right rod at L4-L5 on 06/26/09
              Broke left rod on 10/24/09
              Revision surgery on 11/5/09 with vitallium rods
              Broke both rods again

              Had posterior than anterior revisions on 03/11 at the Twin Cities Spine Center
              Declared "FUSED" on 12/6/11

              Comment


              • #8
                Like Geish, mine were taken off at my 2 week checkup, when they took out my 2 external stitches.
                __________________________________________
                Debbe - 50 yrs old

                Milwalkee Brace 1976 - 79
                Told by Dr. my curve would never progress

                Surgery 10/15/08 in NYC by Dr. Michael Neuwirth
                Pre-Surgury Thorasic: 66 degrees
                Pre-Surgery Lumbar: 66 degrees

                Post-Surgery Thorasic: 34 degrees
                Post-Surgery Lumbar: 22 degrees

                Comment


                • #9
                  I see.....I guess I will just wait it out then. Maybe try the alcohol thing right before my appointment. Thanks everyone!
                  Lynn -30.... something
                  DxD @ 8 yrs old: 10* curve-no brace-no nothin'!
                  At age 26: Thorasic 48*/Lumbar 50*
                  At age 34: Thorasic 58*/Lumbar 60*
                  Posterior T5-L4 Fusion Jan 14th, 2009 w/Dr Tribus
                  UW Madison, WI Hospital
                  **AFTER: less than 10* Thorasic/15* Lumbar**

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Most of my son's steri-strips were still stubbornly attached when we went to his 6-week checkup. The nurse removed them then. I don't remember it being a big deal or painful for him.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      I was told that they would just fall off eventually and not to worry about them. The stragglers that held on longer were removed at my first appointment. You might want to check with your surgeon, as sometimes they don't want you fiddling with them before it's time for them to come off...
                      71 and plugging along... but having some problems
                      2007 52° w/ severe lumbar stenosis & L2L3 lateral listhesis (side shift)
                      5/4/07 posterior fusion T2-L4 w/ laminectomies and osteotomies @L2L3, L3L4
                      Dr. Kim Hammerberg, Rush Univ. Medical Center in Chicago

                      Corrected to 15°
                      CMT (type 2) DX in 2014, progressing
                      10/2018 x-rays - spondylolisthesis at L4/L5 - Dr. DeWald is monitoring

                      Click to view my pics: pics of scoli x-rays digital x-rays, and pics of me

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by LynnMarie74 View Post
                        Mary Lou--you would think the showers would help loosen the glue. Im pretty sure my surgeon will want to see underneath & will take them off for me...but its just to painful to do it at this point. I will google the creme you are talking about....thanks.

                        Lynn,

                        Yeah, you'd think the shower would help, but Jamie wasn't excited about getting her back wet, so I always gently washed her back outside of the shower.

                        I did a search and found Carmell's recommendation. She suggested using either Bacitracin or Neosporin on the steri-strips. She said they loosen the glue and by putting it on before bed, they will sometimes fall off by morning. You might need to repeat the process a few times.

                        Mary Lou
                        Mom to Jamie age 21-diagnosed at age 12-spinal fusion 12/7/2004-fused from T3-L2; and Tracy age 19, mild Scoliosis-diagnosed at age 18.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          I never touched mine and I think most of them came off by 8 or 9 weeks. You definitely don't want to pick at them and/or irritate the scar.
                          Chris
                          A/P fusion on June 19, 2007 at age 52; T10-L5
                          Pre-op thoracolumbar curve: 70 degrees
                          Post-op curve: 12 degrees
                          Dr. Boachie-adjei, HSS, New York

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