Hi. I had wide local excision and SNB on New Year’s Eve. I rang the Breast Care Team today but phone signal not good and they didn’t get through when they probably tried to call me back. I didn’t get to speak to them and they aren’t available now until after the weekend . I have splash proof dressing and steri strips. My paperwork says leave dressing to fall off naturally but it also says after showering , remove any wet dressing . Wound care is to kept dry for 48 hours . I have been worried about showering - I have only had strip washes . I wanted to ask BCN whether the dressing should fall off after the shower or is there a minimum amount of days it should ideally stay on for . I’m scared that it might get wet and fall off too early. If I don’t have shower until I speak to BCN on Monday day 6, is that too long to leave dressing on? Thank you
Hi I can’t answer your query but wanted to let you know it might be best to call the BCN nurses tomorrow between 9-1
Helpline: 0808 800 6000 (Mon-Fri 9am-4pm; Sat 9am-1pm). Speak to our trained helpline team. No questions are too big or too small
Hi there. Obviously each surgeon has their own preferences but i was told to leave the dressing on for a minimum of 7 days. I did have a drain in. I also had district nurses come in to check a couple of times. I was told not to shower with the dressing on. Provided it’s not red, hot, painful, swollen, and you don’t have a temperature i personally wouldn’t worry too much xx
Hi, I contacted the ward I had been on to ask their advice, this might be another option for you? In my case they got me in and changed the dressing for me thankfully. Also Breast Cancer now have nurses available to talk to.
Hello northerngirl
Thank you for posting.
Although there isn’t a minimum number of days your dressing should stay on for after a wide local excision, you usually need to keep the wound covered for the first few days to protect it.
You can usually bathe and shower normally after surgery if you have a waterproof dressing covering the wound, but you should try and avoid getting the dressing wet and soggy in the early days after surgery. It is also advisable not to use any soaps or deodorant products on or around the area of your wound.
As @pat says, surgeons often have their own preference on how long dressings stay on for and yours may want you to renew the dressing if it comes off to early. It is now Monday and you may have already spoken to your breast care nurse who will be able to advise you further on this. If you are unable to contact them, calling the ward you were on, as suggested by @doodles1 is another option or you could call us on our helpline.
You may find this booklet on recovering from your operation helpful. We also offer a range of free supportive services for anyone who has had a diagnosis of breast cancer which you may be interested in. They include face to face and online courses and events.
For more details about all of these services, please see the information on the link, or call our free helpline.
Do call our helpline if you would like to talk this through or have any further questions. The helpline team have time to listen, talk things through and signpost you to additional support and information if necessary. Your call will be confidential, and the number is free from UK landlines and all mobile networks. The number is 0808 800 6000, (Relay UK -prefix 18001).
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Best wishes
Angela
Breast Care Nurse
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