Dr. Stefano Sinicropi, M.D.

Many of us struggle to figure out what we’re going to wear before we leave the house in the morning, oftentimes trying to find a balance between practical and stylish. But if you’re wondering what you should wear if you’re headed into the clinic for spine surgery, know that styles take a back seat to practicality. You’re going to want to make life a little easier on yourself by dressing smart on the day of your spine surgery. In today’s blog, we explain what you should wear and what you should avoid wearing to your spine surgery appointment.

Dressing On The Day Of Spine Surgery

Before you jump in the car and head to the surgery center, you’ll want to ensure that your outfit helps set you up for success before and after surgery. To do that, you’ll want to make sure that each article of clothing can be described with one of two words – practical or comfortable.

Every piece needs to be practical or comfortable. For example, don’t wear shoes with little tread on the bottom, because the floors of surgery centers can be slippery. Similarly, there’s no reason to wear high heels or shoes with narrow toe boxes that can put more stress on your feet and spine. You want a good shoe with a safe grip on the bottom, and bonus points if they are easy to get on (or slip on for that matter!), because it might be difficult to bend or twist to get your shoes on. Don’t just wear your normal shoes if they aren’t comfortable or practical for your operation.

Now that we’ve covered your feet, let’s start working our way up and going over some of our recommendations for other articles of clothing:

• Sweatpants – Sweatpants will be comfortable, and you’ll want your pants to be comfortable when you’re recovering after an operation. Sweatpants are also easier to navigate than tighter fitting jeans or anything with a belt in the event you have to go to the bathroom. Most sweatpants also have pockets in them where you can store your phone, wallet or other essentials.
• Button-Up Shirts – We also recommend wearing a button-up shirt to facilitate getting your shirt on and off with ease. This will help you change easier after surgery, and it will make it easier to access your surgical site if it needs to be checked for signs of an infection or cleaned. It might not be easy to get your shoulder above your head after surgery, so skip that step and wear a button-up shirt.
• Hairband – If you have long hair, you’ll want to bring a couple hair ties or bands with you so that you can keep your hair out of the way during surgery or recovery. Having hair ties on hand makes it easier to manage your hair depending on the situation, so have some handy if you have longer hair.

Comfort and practicality are king, but you also need to be aware of some of the things you’ll want to avoid wearing during surgery. Your surgeon will likely cover the full list, but some things that you should avoid putting on the day of surgery includes: Jewelry, deodorant, nail polish, makeup, contact lenses, tampons or any restrictive clothing to the surgical center. All of these things can interfere with your surgery or make life a little more difficult, so don’t wear them the day of surgery. Please consult our team or a member of your surgical team if you have any questions or concerns.

Make it easy on yourself and wear clothes that are comfy and practical, and you’ll be all set for spine surgery. For more information or if you have questions or concerns, reach out to Dr. Sinicropi’s office today.

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