A common worry
Removing dressings is something people often worry about after surgery, usually more than it warrants. The video below demonstrates the process, and the notes that follow explain what you will find under each layer.
The dressing you wake up with
After an arthroscopic procedure, Dr Cutbush places a suction dressing on the shoulder. Keyhole shoulder surgery uses fluid, and some of it continues to seep from the small incisions for a while afterwards. The suction dressing absorbs that surgical fluid so it does not soak through clothing and bedding.
The change before you go home
Before you are discharged, the hospital nurses replace the suction dressing with small waterproof dressings. These are the ones you go home with. Because they are waterproof, you may shower over them.
When to take them off
Dr Cutbush prefers that you take your dressings off 5 to 7 days after your shoulder surgery. The video shows how.
The steri-strips underneath
Under the dressings you will find steri-strips: thin adhesive strips lying directly across the incisions. These should be left alone. Do not peel them off when the dressings come away. They are there to support the wound edges and they will fall off by themselves in their own time.
When to get in touch instead
If, when the dressings come off, the wound is red and spreading, hot, leaking fluid or pus, or opening up, or if you have a fever or feel generally unwell, contact the rooms rather than waiting for your next appointment. Some mild redness along the incision line and bruising around the shoulder and down the arm are common and settle on their own.
With thanks
With thanks to Lucy, physiotherapist from Extend Therapy, who appears in the video.
Related information
If you have had a shoulder replacement rather than an arthroscopic procedure, the dressings are different and are covered in our post on your shoulder replacement and your dressings. See also the surgery FAQs and our rehabilitation page.