Most spine wounds heal well. Keep the wound clean, dry and covered until we have checked it, usually at 2 weeks. After that, we will tell you when it can get wet.
Reviewed by Dr. Kshitij Chaudhary, Last reviewed November 2026
At our spine clinic at P.D. Hinduja Hospital, Mahim, Mumbai, we check every wound about 2 weeks after surgery. This page explains how to look after your wound until then, how to wash and what to watch for. If your surgeon gave you different instructions, follow those first.
How is my wound closed?
Most of the time we use dissolving stitches that never need removing. Sometimes we use stitches or staples on the skin. We take these out at your 2-week visit.
When can I get the wound wet?
Not until the wound has fully healed and we have cleared you. This is usually after your 2-week wound check. Until then, keep it dry. That means no shower over the wound, no pouring water over your back or neck, and no bathtub, pool, sea or river.
How do I wash until then?
- Take a sponge bath. Wipe with a damp cloth while you sit on a stool or chair.
- If you use a bucket and mug, sit on a plastic stool. Wash your face, arms, chest and legs, and keep water away from the wound.
- Ask a family member to help with your back. Pat yourself dry with a clean towel.
- After lower back surgery, a family member can wash your hair while you lean back, keeping water away from your back. After neck surgery, ask us first.
- In Mumbai's heat and humidity, sweat can dampen the dressing. Wear loose cotton clothes and change them if they get damp.
- If the dressing gets wet, call us.
How do I look after the wound?
- Leave the dressing alone unless your team tells you to change it.
- Do not put creams, powders, oils, haldi or herbal pastes on or near the wound.
- Do not scratch, rub or pick at it. Itching is common while it heals.
- Wear loose clothes, and keep a belt or collar from rubbing the wound.
- Look at the wound once a day. Ask a family member to check a wound on your back, or use your phone camera.
What happens at the 2-week check?
We look at the wound. If you have stitches or staples, we remove them. If it has healed well, we tell you when you can get it wet and shower normally. If healing is slow, we may ask you to come back again in a few days. If you live outside Mumbai, this is one reason we ask you to stay for 1 to 2 weeks before you travel home.
What should I watch for?
Wound problems are uncommon. Call us the same day if you see:
- Redness, warmth or swelling that is spreading
- Pain around the wound that is getting worse
- Pus, a bad smell, or any clear fluid leaking
- The wound opening
- Fever above 38°C (101°F)
The full list is in When to Call Us After Spine Surgery.
How do I shower once you have cleared me?
- Sit on a stool at first, and use a hand-held shower or a mug.
- Let the water run over the wound. Do not scrub it. Pat it dry with a clean towel.
- Put an anti-slip mat on the bathroom floor.
- Do not soak in a bathtub, pool, sea or river until your surgeon says it is fine. Swimming and water therapy are covered in your rehab plan.
Other resources
When to Call Us After Spine Surgery, Preparing for Surgery (for setting up your bathroom), and your rehab plan: Rehab protocol following lumbar discectomy, Rehab protocol following lumbar decompression or Rehab protocol following lumbar fusion.
This page is for general information and does not replace a medical consultation. Please see a doctor for advice about your own symptoms.