What antibacterial soap did you/will you use the night before?

[kmorri 1,689]

I agree somewhat.....I've had several surgeries in the past and this was never a requirement until now......However, I just saw it as a precautionary process....Maybe it doesn't help.....but then again maybe it does, so why not! So I did as directed and bathed with the magic potion the night before and the again the morning of....and I've healed perfectly!....is it because of my bathing with this soap?....who knows!

No, your reason for healing perfectly has nothing to do with your preop shower. There is nothing magic in any soap. If there were, there would be no postop infections, and everyone would need to use whatever the magic soap was.

It's a longstanding truth in the business that postop wound infections start in the OR.

Sorry didn't mean I actually thought there was a magic potion...lol I just didn't see how it could do any harm.....and the bottom line was I was happy with my outcome so all was good............I have no doubt that you are correct regarding where infections start.

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

"Just have faith that your surgeon has a reason to ask you to do something: to give you the best chance of a healthy, complication free recovery."

You mistake my meaning. I've been a licensed health care professional for more than thirty years. I DID trust my surgeon, and was given NO requirement to do any of this - no infections or anything dire occurred. There is a lot to be said about overuse of antibacterials, similar to overuse of antibiotics.

Then, great. If you weren't told to do so then don't do it.

[slimgoodie 11]

It's called hibiclens got it at walmarts

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[chycky 671]

Hey there, since I just emailed to ask my nurse for instructions via email, I thought I would share since some may want to use or appreciate more details. Surgery is less than a week away!

Steps for showering or bathing with the CHG/4% Hibiclens :

1. Wash and rinse your hair, face, and body using your normal Shampoo and soap. Avoid Dial soap as it reduces the effectiveness if Hibiclens
2. Make sure you completely rinse off
3. Turn off the shower or turn Water away from you
4. Pour a quarter size amount of liquid CHG/Hibiclens soap onto a wet, clean washcloth, and apply to your entire body
FROM THE NECK DOWN. Do NOT use on your face, hair, or genital areas.
5. Rub the soap filled washcloth over your entire body for 3 minutes; apply more soap as needed (1/4 of bottle should be
used with each of the 4 showers/cleansing). Avoid scrubbing your skin too hard.
6. Turn on the shower/return to the bath, & rinse the soap off your body completely with warm Water.< /span>
7. Do NOT use regular soap after washing with the Hibiclens.
8. Pat your skin dry with a freshly-laundered, clean towel after each shower/bath cleansing.
9. Dress with freshly-laundered clothes after each shower/bath cleansing
10. It is important the night before surgery, upon the 3rd day of bathing, sleep with clean bed linens
11. Do NOT apply any lotions, deodorants, powders, or perfumes to your body.

[LipstickLady 25,682]

I used Sugar Cookie from Philosophy. Or was it White Icing? Hmmm...

No instructions here.

[AvaFern 3,516]

Dial- in the clear blue liquid form. I used it before my sleeve and plastic surgeries and then after as well until my wounds were fully healed. I also used my regular Dove so my skin wouldn't get dried out, lol, but I finished with the Dial. In theory, soap and Water should be just as effective in most cases, but it made me feel better and it's not like it's going to hurt as long as you're not using it on any sort of overly consistent basis (then in theory any skin bacteria could develop a resistance, but also pretty unlikely since our hands have managed to survive decades of antibacterial soap).

[reachbree 140]

i think i may be allergic to this soap...while i was bathing with it, i felt stinging all over. Now that im out of the shower and dry i am itching....

[walkermy 86]

At my surgery class we were told, hibiclens or dial gold only. I understand the hibiclens, but as far as the dial gold, it would seem antibacterial soap is antibacterial soap... But who knows.

[daniotra 298]

I was given some towels with chlorhexidrine in them to use night before and morning of.

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[mshaw 10]

I was told to use Hibiclens from the neck down and to gargle with Listerine.

I go in for my surgery next month and was told to do the same thing. To shower with it the night before and morning of.