Antibacterial soap

Ashweb901
Ashweb901 Member Posts: 67
edited August 2018 in Surgery - Before, During, and After

ok I get wanting to prevent infection, but my PS says wash my body with Dial or other anti-bac soap (Cetaphil used to make one but they DQd it) for a WEEK before surgery, take a shower and use it BOTH the night before surgery and also shower AGAIN the day of surgery.. and...that seems excessive, AND triclosan is bad for us!!

Anybody's PS require this? I'm thinking of getting a tea tree oil soap. Any other natural (and non-toxic) suggestions?

Ashley

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  • couragement
    couragement Member Posts: 114
    edited August 2018

    Hi Ashley,

    I have had many surgeries but not had a doc request the antibacterial soap a week prior, but standard practice is to shower the night before surgery and morning of with Hibiclens (name of the soap: non foaming). I have done it for all my breast and chest surgeries. I have many friends that are surgeons and they all require this as well. It is strong enough that it can even kill MRSA. If that is your surgeons recommendation I would do it, as if there were ever a time to use an antibacterial soap it is for this.

    I certainly understand the desire to go as naturally as possible, but this is no small surgery and you want to be on the safest side of things possible.

    Sending you all my positive energy for an excellent outcome with your surgery and as little discomfort as can possibly be.

    Take good care! xoxoxoxoox



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  • Lula73
    Lula73 Member Posts: 1,824
    edited August 2018

    sounds like your dr is hedging his bets. He may also have learned that if he says a week, he will likely at least get the night before and morning of surgery. Kind of like rubber bands when you had braces as a teenager - wearing triple rubber bands the few days before your appointment because you didn’t wear them at all the rest of the time. NOLA gives us a particular Neutrogena body wash to use night before, morning of, and post surgery for first few days. I’ve also heard of other centers recommending her hibiclens but it can cause skin irritation for some.

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  • Moonrabbit59
    Moonrabbit59 Member Posts: 65
    edited August 2018

    Interesting... I actually didn’t have any such request about showering before surgery at all, and I went to a leading hospital and surgeon for my surgery. Any antibacterial washing you do will be immediately de-sterilized the second you put on your non sterile clothes to get to the hospital anyway so, I guess it’s a matter of the dr overasking so that she gets at least the night before?

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  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited August 2018

    I have had a lot of surgery related to breast cancer and reconstruction and received this same instruction to use an anti-bacterial soap during the days prior to surgery and then Hibiclens the night before and morning of surgery. I have extremely sensitive skin and a number of allergies to topicals, including Neosporin and Bacitracin, but had no issues with the Hibiclens. I have had MRSA nasal swab tests at the pre-admission testing prior to surgery, and also used Mupirocin inside the nose as an antibacterial pre-surgically. Once at the hospital the pre-op prep included warmed anti-bacterial wipes used on the skin before donning a gown and compression stockings. Triclosan has been banned in soap for a couple of years now, so that shouldn’t be an issue for you.


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  • ksusan
    ksusan Member Posts: 4,505
    edited August 2018

    I had instructions for 3 days before.

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  • Ashweb901
    Ashweb901 Member Posts: 67
    edited August 2018

    thank you all so much! I thought it strange the instructions didn’t say hibiclens. Only said Dial! I’d love to know the Neutrogena product. I really do want to be compliant, but my skin is dry dry dry and sensitive. I figure they’ll slather betadine all over me anyway? Interesting how I had zero washing prep for c-sections and zero for hernia repair/tummy tuck.

    I’m gonna comply, but I only shower every other day as it is, so showering twice in 12 hours is a lot for me!

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  • CindyNY
    CindyNY Member Posts: 1,022
    edited August 2018

    14 years ago for a bunion surgery I had to wash with an antibacterial soap. For LX and reexcision, I didn't have to. But some instruction said to change my bed sheets, put clean sheets on. I asked, what was that all about? A nurse said that some people don't change their sheets weekly and they want to discourage any way of your surgery site becoming infected. Who knew! Best of luck with your surgery.

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  • NotVeryBrave
    NotVeryBrave Member Posts: 1,287
    edited August 2018

    Funny. For my port surgery, I was asked to shower the night before with stuff they gave me, put on clean jammies, and sleep in a bed with clean sheets. And then take another shower in the morning and put on clean clothes. They also put antibacterial gel in my nose.

    For my BMX - no such requests at all. Different hospitals - different rules!



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  • NancyHB
    NancyHB Member Posts: 1,512
    edited August 2018

    Speaking from experience with an antibiotic-resistant superbug after DIEP reconstruction - take every chance you get to de-germ and cleanse before surgery. There are nasty bug that love on our skin all the time, which is fine until our systems are compromised by surgery and healing. There was an interesting piece on NPR the other day about how superbugs and other germs are becoming antibacterial-tolerant (not quite resistant yet). One of the best ways to get rid of these germs is not to douse them with cleanser and just smear them across your body, but actually rub them off the skin and rinse them down the drain.

    Better to wash up a little more ahead of time than be battling an infection later.
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  • Ashweb901
    Ashweb901 Member Posts: 67
    edited August 2018

    thanks, Nancy HB and notverybrave! I will comply...but I guess I’ll make up for all that washin afterward bc my PS allows no showering until drains are all out! (Shallow baths are ok. )

    Ashle

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  • NancyHB
    NancyHB Member Posts: 1,512
    edited August 2018

    A week sorta seems extreme to me, but at least a couple of days before maybe? Enjoy your showers, I remember desperately wanting to take one - that felt like the longest two weeks of my life. When I finally was able to, I sat so long I ran out of hot water water. 😊 good luck

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  • Lula73
    Lula73 Member Posts: 1,824
    edited August 2018

    the no showering afterwards til drains are out is probably the answer to why he’s asked you to use the antibacterial soap for a week before. Crazy (IMO) not to shower til drains are out. They had me showering the morning after surgery and each day after. Drains can sometimes be in for weeks!

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  • beach2beach
    beach2beach Member Posts: 996
    edited August 2018

    My PS gave me a small bottle of I guess it was Hibeclens to use the night before and just the chest area. I could not jump fully into the shower with the drains according to PS instructions but I had a hand held shower so I could shower everything but the chest area and there I used baby wipes just to get the grimy feeling off.

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  • BellasMomToo
    BellasMomToo Member Posts: 305
    edited August 2018

    In the last 2 years I had three surgeries at the same hospital: my port placement, UMX, and colectomy. Each time I was given chlorhexidine soap to wash with the night before surgery and the morning of surgery. (It looks just like the soapy sponge you see surgeons on TV scrubbing up with before surgery) It supposedly helps keep the infection rate down.

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  • Ashweb901
    Ashweb901 Member Posts: 67
    edited August 2018

    thank you all! I do think doctors have different rules about all sorts of things....and I kinda feel left out that mine didn’t say hibiclens! My mom keeps that by the sink at home. And yes, if your gonna not be able to shower for two weeks best that you wash up over and over beforehand to make up for it! LOL

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