Do I need to keep my belly button covered after lap?

[milliem]

Hi guys,

I had a lap 5 days ago, and I’m confused - do I need to keep my belly button covered still with a dressing? I’ve washed it and showered, does it still need to be covered?

Thank you!

[luthien]

Hey,

You only really need to keep it covered if the incisions have stitches which will catch or the scab could catch. It's best to let it air dry and heal.

Mines an innie; I uncovered it after day 2 and only covered it if I went out - trousers pressed against it so I wasn't sure. During the day at home or at night I left it to air.

[milliem in reply to luthien]

Thanks! I’ve taken the dressing off, luckily all of the incisions seem to have healed well a week post op

[Hidden]

I kept mine covered for 10 days. Changed the dressing every couple days and let it air occasionally, but other than that my nurse advised that it stayed covered! hope you're recovering well xxx

[milliem in reply to Hidden]

Thank you so much 😊

[princessk09]

Hey, I was told to remove the bandage after 12 hours as keeping it on longer increases the risk of bacteria and infection. I just treated it like one of my tattoos healing so just washed it gently 3 times a day and let it heal. xx

[milliem in reply to princessk09]

So helpful! Thank you, I’ve taken it off and am cleaning it regularly xxx

[princessk09 in reply to milliem]

No worries, I wore leggings after about a week of wearing nighties (not a good look 😂) but I didn’t have any issues as the stitches were deep inside my bellybutton, they just took months to dissolve xx

[Giraffe92]

There's so much mixed advice out there in relation to dressings. I was told to keep mine covered for a fortnight, changing my dressings every day even with my stitches out.

[Custard32]

I was told 48 hours. I took the covering off and tried not to get the wound wet in the shower for at least a week. It’s healed really well.

[griffij9]

I had a really bad infection in mine and the nurse had to clean it and I was on two lots of antibiotics. The nurse advised me to keep it open and after every shower to dry it with the cool setting on the hairdryer.

[milliem in reply to griffij9]

Ah that’s good advise! I worry I don’t dry it properly. Thank you xx

[Hannah_w1990]

I think they told me to take the plaster off after 24 hours and I could shower after 48 but not bathe for 2 weeks as it can cause bleeding and infection if you soak the stitches before they heal. Shower is quick and water runs off so should be ok. Don't put any soap or chemicals near it until it is scabbed over

[SarahK73]

No fine to not have a dressing unless weeping