Recovery guide Wound care
Incision care after heart surgery
The wound is the part you can see, so it is the part people worry about. Most of caring for it is unremarkable — keep it clean and dry, leave it alone, and know precisely which changes matter.
Posthorax Australia · Reviewed 30 July 2026 · About a 4 minute read
The basics
Follow the instructions you were given at discharge first — they are specific to your closure and dressing. In general terms:
- Wash the area gently with plain soap and water in the shower, then pat it dry. No scrubbing, no washcloth over the wound.
- Avoid baths, spas and swimming until your team clears them — soaking a healing wound is what causes trouble.
- No creams, oils, powders or antiseptics unless prescribed.
- Leave sticky strips to fall off on their own; do not peel them.
- Keep the area out of direct sun for the first months — new scar burns easily and darkens permanently.
- Wear something soft between the wound and any strap, seatbelt or garment.
What normal looks like
A healing incision is often slightly pink or purple, mildly firm along the line, itchy, and numb or tingling in patches as nerves recover. Small amounts of clear fluid in the first days are common. All of that is ordinary.
Expect it to look worse than you hoped and better every fortnight. Scars continue to fade and flatten for a year or more.
When to ring your team
Do not wait for the next appointment if you notice:
- redness, swelling or pain that is increasing rather than settling
- discharge of any kind, particularly if it is cloudy or smells
- a wound edge that opens, or a gap that appears
- fever, chills, or feeling generally unwell
- a click, grind or movement in the breastbone when you move or cough
Protecting the wound while it heals
Most wound problems after sternotomy begin mechanically: the two halves of the bone move, the tissue over them is pulled, and healing is disrupted. That is the case for chest support — the PRO Support Vest stabilises the sternum and also keeps seatbelts and straps off the incision. It is the part of wound care with randomised evidence behind it.
In an emergency call 000.
Questions patients ask
+Can I shower with a heart surgery incision?
Usually yes, once your team says the wound can get wet. Wash gently with plain soap and water, pat dry, and avoid baths, spas and swimming until you are cleared.
+Should I put cream on my scar?
Not unless your team has prescribed something. Once the wound is fully closed, ask at your review whether a simple moisturiser or silicone product is appropriate for you.
+How do I know if my incision is infected?
The pattern to watch for is redness, swelling or pain that increases rather than settles, any discharge, a wound edge that opens, or fever. Contact your surgical team promptly rather than waiting.
Who writes this, and what it is not
Written by Posthorax Australia, the Australian distributor of the POSTHORAX® range, for patients and families after cardiac surgery. General recovery guidance reflects standard postoperative practice; claims about the device come from the trials cited on our clinical evidence page.
We are not your treating team and this is not medical advice. Where anything here conflicts with your surgeon, GP, physiotherapist or cardiac rehabilitation service, follow them.
Reviewed 30 July 2026 · Corrections: sales@posthorax.com.au