So we all know ace bandages are bad to bind with, so why do surgeons recommend them post surgery?
Why not recommend a binder?

Ace bandages can work for the short time and you do need the extra compression after the surgery.  To keep the swelling from interfering with the healing. 

Binders are better for long term use, so you don't bruise your lungs and other nasty things.

Quote from: Squirrel698 on October 02, 2013, 08:24:22 AM
Ace bandages can work for the short time and you do need the extra compression after the surgery.  To keep the swelling from interfering with the healing.

It's also to keep the operated area "still" to prevent the wounds - and later scars - from stretching.
Or that's what I've heard.

I've read from another message board that someone asked if they could just use a binder but apparently a binder isn't tight enough.
At least here hospitals/surgeons provide a tubigrip (or something like that).

But there are binders designed specifically for post surgical use.

For example; my surgeon gave me a binder to use after surgery. It is a lot tighter than my other binders and it is specifically designed for use after having surgery to treat gynocomastia.

Some doctors (like Garramone) don't ever use surgical binders and always use bandages. I'm guessing the bandages afford some advantages that you wouldn't want in a regular binder, like inability to shift, tightness, and being able to prevent movement (or swelling). Others use surgical binders. I am imagining there are advantages and disadvantages each way. But you'd have to ask your surgeon why he does it his way, if he'd give away his trade secrets. LOL.

I'm guessing since I have heard how tight the ace bandages that Dr. G does, that a regular binder when not be tight enough.

--Jay

Worth noting that ace bandages are indeed tight and restrictive, which is what you want post surgery. And it will be fine in this situation because post surgery you're not going to be very physically active, so you don't need to worry about being unable to take a really deep breath, or running out of air after running. Those are things you won't need to do during recovery.

Quote from: Jack_M on October 03, 2013, 12:14:12 PM
Worth noting that ace bandages are indeed tight and restrictive, which is what you want post surgery. And it will be fine in this situation because post surgery you're not going to be very physically active, so you don't need to worry about being unable to take a really deep breath, or running out of air after running. Those are things you won't need to do during recovery.

Or even that much of a walk? Esp since you have tubes coming out of you, ,major incisions, and are often taking Vicodin.

--Jay

Well post-surgical binders are pretty restrictive too.
Maybe the decision to go with ace bandages has something to do with the length of time the patient is meant to wear it for. A patient who only needs it for one week is less likely to spend ~$60 on an actual binder, whereas a patient who needs it for ~4 weeks would probably benefit from it.

I had a post surgical binder before switching to an ACE wrap. The binder rubbed my shoulders raw and pressed down too much on my drains, while the wrap/bandages were fine.

Quote from: kaiju on October 03, 2013, 10:45:11 PM
I had a post surgical binder before switching to an ACE wrap. The binder rubbed my shoulders raw and pressed down too much on my drains, while the wrap/bandages were fine.

My binder rubbed a bit too. The shoulders are velcro so that has allowed me to adjust it to a position more suited to my body. I didn't have any hassle with my drains but i only had them in for 3 days.

How long did you wear the bandage for?

I wore it for less than two weeks(one week night/day, the second week every other day).

EDIT - I should also add that my drains were in for a week.

Quote from: Liam Erik on October 05, 2013, 12:41:40 AM
I had a post-surgical binder for three weeks and it was miserable.  Yesterday was my four month birthday and I still have a line marked in my side where the binder's seam laid.

Oh gosh I can totally imagine this happing. They are awful. 24/7 in a binder is hell.

I've got 4 weeks total in my binder. 2.5 to go... Yay..