Can steristrips be left on for too long following breast lift and augmentation? (Photo)

Question

I'm 3 weeks po b/l b/a with lollipop incision. I've had steri-strips on since surgery on 3/5. They are sticking good & No signs of irritation or infection. My 3 week post-op appointment was cancelled & rescheduled for 2 weeks from now which would put me at 5 weeks post-op. My PS's nurse said to leave steri-strips in place until my appointment. Is it possible to leave steri-strips on for too long? Is there any harm in this or could it actually be beneficial for healing & minimizing scarring?

Brian K. Reedy, MD · Answer

As long as you are having no problems with the steri strips and irritation, drainage, etc., they should be fine to stay on for 5 weeks.  If anything changes, reach out to your PS to get further advice.

William Andrade, MD · Answer

I'd recommend following any specific recommendations from your surgeon regarding your postop care.  Most of my patients remove their strips after about 2-3 weeks.  Occasionally they will be left on longer if they are very clean and adhering well, or I will remove them earlier if they are poorly adherent or I want to assess the surgical incisions.

George Bitar, MD · Answer

Steristrips are an early form of scar management.  The can be left on as long as they are clean, there are no wound healing problems and no signs of infection like redness,swelling or drainage

Boris Mordkovich, MD · Answer

There is no set number of days or weeks for steristrips to stay on. It is commonly accepted that they can be left in place for a period of 2-6 weeks as long as there is no infection, drainage, etc. Best to be guided by your PS. Best wishes

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

I like patients to wear steri-strips or paper tape for 3- 6 weeks if there is no irritation, blistering, drainage, etc.. Best to always ask your doc.

Mark Schwartz, MD · Answer

As long as the steri-strips are relatively clean and there have been no wound healing issues, keeping them in place for an extra 2 weeks is unlikely to cause a problem.   For body contouring procedures I recommend that patients keep steri-strips in place for approximately 3 weeks. They are changed if they start peeling off or if they become soiled.  Good luck and hope that helps.

Sanjiv Kayastha, MD · Answer

To me 5 weeks seems excessive. There is no right or wrong answer. Each surgeon handles this differently, so it is best to follow your surgeons advice. I remove steri strips in 7-10 days and replace them with new ones. If you don't have any soilage, irritation or infection it should not be a problem to leave them on longer.

Zach Barnes, MD · Answer

As long as they are clean and non irritating there is nothing wrong with them being on. I usually prefer to have them off around two weeks as they start to peel up at the corners and are hard to keep clean that long. Call the office and ask specifically about the strips.

Christopher Costanzo, MD (retired) · Answer

As long as the Steri-strips are not irritating the skin or creating blisters, there is no harm in leaving them on the skin.

Can steristrips be left on for too long following breast lift and augmentation? (Photo)

Answers (9)

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