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You have an incision in your groin from vascular surgery. Your incision is usually closed with
stitches or staples. You will leave the hospital before it fully heals. Clean your groin incision
every day.
Cleaning Your Incision
Clean the wound and groin. Gently clean the wound with mild soap and water. Remove any dried drainage. Do not scrub the incision. Rinse off all the soap.
Pat the incision dry with a towel. Completely dry the groin. Do not use any lotions, alcohols, powders, or oils on your incision.
Cover the wound with dry gauze and paper tape. Change as needed if soiled or loose.
Bathing
You may get the incision wet in the shower.
Do not swim or soak in a bathtub or hot tub.
The groin area is where the legs meet the belly. The skin in that area folds over to make a crease.
Moisture in that crease can lead to an infection. Wash and dry the groin daily to avoid an
infection.
Signs of Infection
Look at your wound every day. Call your doctor if you notice any of these signs of infection:
Increased redness or warmth at the incision site.
Red streaks that start at the stitches or staples.
New foul-smelling, cloudy, yellow or green drainage or bleeding from your wound.
Bulging or increased swelling at incision site.
Fever over 101.5° F (38.5° C) for two readings taken by mouth 4 hours apart.
Sudden increase in pain at the wound that is not relieved by your pain medicine.
Who to Call
Vascular Surgery Clinic
Monday-Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
(608) 263-8915
After hours call 608-263-6400 and ask for the Vascular Surgery provider on call. your name and phone number with the area code. The provider will call you back.
The toll-free number is 1-800-323-8942.