How To Shower/Bathe After Bunion Correction
Bathing does not have to be difficult after bunion surgery. You just need a game plan, and after a few weeks, you will be able to return to your usual bathing practices. Following the instructions should help reduce any anxiety you have with this process.
Immediately after your bunion correction surgery you will be in a dressing that cannot get wet, and a walking boot to protect your foot. I recommend patients relax the first three days and not worry about bathing since they are resting all day in a bed or a chair for the most part. If you wish to bathe, showers are recommended because the risk of getting the dressing wet is less than if you were hanging your leg out of a tub while soaking in the tub.
At your pre-operative appointment you will be provided with device called a cast protector. Despite the name cast protector, you will not be in a cast, just a post-operative dressing. This will be placed over your dressing while bathing.
Following the below protocol with make it much easier for you to bathe quickly and safely. If for some reason you get your dressing wet, please call Dr. Steinke’s office immediately at 817-416-6155.
1) Enter shower carefully in your walking boot on your foot and nothing else, with pressure to heel only
2) Sit down in shower, remove the boot and pass it out of shower
3) Carefully place shower protector over foot, make sure to apply up leg to just below knee them press down to create a tight seal that sheds water
4) Shower using handheld wand to bath, if you don’t have a shower wand get a cheap on and install before surgery.
5) Finish shower by drying yourself in shower while seated, then remove cast protector (if minor leak occurs dry dressing with warm setting hair dryer, if saturated call Dr. Steinke’s office immediately).
6) Reach out of shower, apply boot, then walk on heal out of shower, then get dressed carefully, preferably seated
After your sutures are painlessly removed at your second post-operative visit(day 10-14), you can begin taking showers regularly without the bag over your foot, though baths are not recommended until all scabs have resolved. Patients should sit for the first 3-4 weeks after surgery in shower especially if you have balance issues, but if careful you can take shower without boot with pressure to heel only, and when exiting shower immediately apply their boot.
If you are having difficulty in the first two weeks, of course you can sponge bathe as well until you get more confidence to bathe in the shower.
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