How should I care for my incision after a hysterectomy?

If you've had an abdominal hysterectomy surgery, your incision will take longer to heal than the smaller incisions from a laparoscopic surgery. But basic care for the incisions is the same. Here's what to do:

You may take a shower after the first 48 hours, but do not soak in a bath, hot tub, or swimming pool. Wait until your incision is well healed (and any tape covering the incision has fallen off). It's okay to sit in a few inches of warm water -- just don't let the water reach your incision, and don't put soap or shampoo in the water.

Call your doctor if you have any of these signs of infection:

• Ongoing red bleeding from your incision. (It's normal to have a small amount of bloody discharge -- but not red bleeding -- at home.)
• Redness, swelling, separation, odor, or yellowish drainage from your incision.
• Fever of 100.4 degrees F (38.0 degrees C) or greater.
• Flulike symptoms (for example, chills, body ache, fatigue, or headache).
• Increase in pain, or pain medication that isn't working.

Note: If you've had a vaginal hysterectomy, you won't need to take care of the incision. The internal stitches will dissolve on their own. When this happens -- usually about 2 weeks after surgery -- your vaginal discharge may increase or reoccur.