When Can You Shower After Shoulder Surgery?

When can you shower after shoulder surgery? The good news is immediately, on the day of surgery.

I’m very adamant that the dressings we put on after surgery are waterproof. Even if you get water running over the incision the day after surgery, it’s good for it. You don’t want to soak in water tubs because that can get into the wound. Incisions are meant to be clean and dry.

You don’t want to be put in the ointment area, that stuff on there, and so the dressings we put on are waterproof. We have people shower on the day of surgery and then take their dressings off.

Depending on the type of surgery, if it’s scoped, we haven’t taken it off after a day or two, then shower. If it’s a total shoulder, it’s a clean, thin, waterproof dressing we leave on for a bit. If it comes off, they can just put another one on.

Shower right away, immediately. Don’t worry about showering; you get to shower.