How to Apply Dressing After Open Shoulder Surgery | Shoulder Surgery Post-Operative Care

In this video, Brian Davis, Physician Assistant for Dr. Peter Millett of The Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colorado, addresses how to apply dressing after open shoulder surgery. If you have undergone an open shoulder surgery, you will have a similar incision to the demonstration. Intra-operatively, your incision will be closed with multiple layers of sutures. The skin closure will have suture ends that need to be trimmed at your two week post-operative visit. The incision will also be secured with steri strips, which will stay on for two weeks following surgery. Your first day after surgery, Dr. Millett's team will replace your surgical dressing with op-sites. You will be provided with a 10-14 day supply of op-sites. When applying the dressing, you will notice a number 1 and 2 on the op-site. Remove side 1 and place over the incision. Then remove side 2 which leaves a flexible water-tight dressing. These should be changed every other day. At your 2 week post-operative appointment, the ends of the absorbable sutures will need to be trimmed. To trim, expose the suture where the suture enters the skin. Simply pull the suture tight and cut at the level of the skin. This will then be repeated at the other end of the incision. All of the steri strips may be removed at this time.