Incision Care: Abdomen

Dressing your incision helps keep it clean, dry, and infection-free. That way it will heal faster. Follow the steps below.

1. Wash your hands and set up

• Use liquid soap. Lather for 1 to 2 minutes. Scrub between your fingers and under your nails.

• Rinse with warm water, keeping fingers pointing down. Use a clean paper towel to dry your hands and turn off the faucet.

• Put all your supplies on a clean cloth or paper towel. Open a plastic trash bag.

• Peel back the edges of the dressing packages. Pour any irrigation solutions into solution cups.

• Clean the scissors with soap and water. Cut each piece of tape 4 inches longer than the dressing.

2. Remove the old dressing

• Put on disposable gloves.

• Loosen the tape by pulling gently toward the incision. Remove the dressing one layer at a time. Put it right into the plastic bag.

• Remove your gloves and put them in the plastic bag. Wash your hands again, as described above. Then put on new gloves.

3. Clean and dress the incision

• Clean the incision and apply a new dressing as directed.

• Put all used supplies in the plastic bag.

• Remove your gloves last and put them in the bag.

• Seal the bag and put it in the trash.

• Be sure to wash your hands again.