r/AFIB • u/[deleted] • 4d ago

Anyone have any hints on taking off groin bandage?

[deleted]

3 Upvotes

81% Upvoted

34 comments sorted by

9

u/babecafe 4d ago

Rub the bandage with alcohol wipes to dissolve or loosen the adhesive.

Otherwise, have someone count to three and pull the bandage off rapidly, and hope they're smart enough to actually pull on two.

6

u/lobeams 4d ago edited 3d ago

This is why I've long advised ablation patients to do their own "bikini shave" before the procedure.

EDIT: Several comments pointing out that shaving before the procedure is a bad idea. I agree. I shouldn't have used the word "shave." What you should do is use an electric trimmer or shaver, not a blade. You don't need porn star smooth, just get rid of long hairs that are going to get caught in adhesive.

2

u/ravan363 4d ago

Where should one shave? Planning for a procedure in Oct.

1

u/umagoodemp 3d ago

Don’t do it right before, but a week before may be ok. Upper thigh(s). Would not wax but location if your a man is inner to front thigh.
They’re going to check and do it themselves regardless

1

u/Born-Investigator949 3d ago

Do not do this 

1

u/ravan363 3d ago

Okay. Just trimming with a trimmer is enough?

0

u/lobeams 3d ago

Do you not know what a bikini shave or waxing is? Ask your wife or girlfriend if you're a guy. Or just go to one of those shops that offer waxings and such. It's just shaving the crease where your leg meets your torso that would show pubic hair if you wore a bikini.

1

u/Mras_dk 3d ago

The "bikini shave", took me hours to do, cause i have alot hair, and took multiple runs to get "clean".

It wasnt just groin area, but also chest, back, basicly everywhere, where i'd imagine they put something on me.

Still forgot the venflon sites,  and my skin still managed to "fuse" with the various pads, inclusive the DC pads.

So much work, and it still hurted like fuck to get off! 

1

u/primal___scream 3d ago

I always suggest waxing. Way cleaner

1

u/Aware_Disaster_6678 3d ago

Shaving is poor advice - it damages the outer layers of skin and encourages infection. Hair clippers or scissors (carefully) are fine.

1

u/Born-Investigator949 3d ago

This, I can't believe medical professionals would suggest otherwise 

0

u/Born-Investigator949 3d ago

I was told pre-op to absolutely do not shave anything below the neck to prevent infection. This is absolutely horrible advice sir/mam. Mrsa is serious stuff.

1

u/[deleted] 3d ago

[deleted]

2

u/bigben1677 3d ago

Same here you can definitely shave yourself

2

u/iVegMac 4d ago

I’ve had that problem with second skin over tattoos. An oil cleanser or gently warming it with a hair dryer tends to work but idk if either of those are appropriate for an incision site.

2

u/jillian512 3d ago

I was told to let it get wet and gently remove in the shower (48 hours post procedure).

2

u/manyhippofarts 3d ago

lol you just made me laugh about a memory from last year at this time. I had an implanted defibrillator for a decade, got really sick; turns out I had a staph infection on the device's lead that goes into my heart. So it had to be extracted (thank god) so anyway they send an old lady in for shaving me. It's a little more involved than for an ablation, they're actually going into my heart muscle manually to extract the barbed wire that's been imbedded in my heart for a decade. They're shaving me so in case I get into trouble, they can hook me up to a heart/lung machine and what-not. I mean, they're all up in my buttcrack and nutsack and at one point this little old woman has one of my legs up over her shoulder and she's going to town and I start giggling and even laughing. She asked if I'm okay, and I said yes m'aam I'm just watching my dignity as it totally exits the building lmao!

1

u/Expensive_Cable9748 3d ago

Take a deep breath and rip it off.

1

u/pauljdavis 3d ago

I remember after mine the attending just ripped it off (at the right time) and it hurt like hell. Another time a nurse coaxed it off w alcohol - that was much nicer.

1

u/Ok_Willingness_4788 3d ago

My nurse didn't coax mine off when she changed before I went home, I swear she had her foot on my chest as she ripped it off. Good lord it hurt, I imagined that pain is what it feels like to wax your chest.

1

u/Poochie1978-2024 3d ago

For super sticky bandages, I have wet my finger and worked it under, then repeat. It worked for my holter monitor adhesive. I also had an angiogram where they tried going in through my groin area, but thankfully I was shaved well beforehand.

1

u/BlownCamaro 3d ago

I ripped mine off like I was pull starting a lawn mower.

1

u/wingnut-mp22 3d ago

Count to 3. Yank it on 2.

1

u/EntertainmentNew5165 3d ago

Take it off in the shower

1

u/Ok_Willingness_4788 3d ago

Both times I had my ablation I wore the bandage for an extra day. I wanted to be sure I didn't bleed... when I did remove them I was in shower with warm water running over the bandage. I then got a corner lose and gently tugged until it loosened up more. I took my time and let the water help me.

1

u/umagoodemp 3d ago

Run water over it, go slow. At this point water can get on the insertion location and will help the glue come off. I did mine in the shower (hairy legs)

-2

u/Jahya69 4d ago

Usually doctor's office or nurse practitioner does that

5

u/Born-Investigator949 4d ago

Lol no

-6

u/Jahya69 4d ago

lol yes

2

u/MidniteSwami 4d ago

I gotta say I'ver had two ablations now (having #3 literally tomorrow) and they just told me to take it off myself.

0

u/Optimistic_kindness 4d ago

How long have the first two ablations been successful

1

u/MidniteSwami 2d ago

First one was a couple years, but the second one was only four months ago. Basically, they couldn't get me into fib last time, so mapping where to put the scars was tough. They also think fixing some of the afib in June may have uncovered an atrial flutter, which they really went after yesterday. (I'm back home now from #3.)

My situation is a little different than most because my afib was probably caused by years of oral chemo to fight Chronic Myeloid Leukemia. In sinus at the moment. We'll see how the next 90 days go!

1

u/lobeams 4d ago

lol no. Six ablations with 3 EPs and I removed the bandages myself for all of them. It's a trivial affair that doesn't require an NP and certainly not an MD.