Sometimes you will be discharged from the hospital with an external fixation device. Below you will find information how to care for your external fixator.

• Dress pins daily with Kerlix roll starting on postoperative day 2. Wrap the Kerlix so that it tamps the skin down around the pin-skin interface to prevent/limit motion of the skin relative to the pin (Pin-skin motion is the primary cause of pain and infection related to external fixator pin sites).

• Remove any crust or coagulum that may obstruct drainage with saline moistened gauze or soap and water

• After postoperative day 3, if there is no drainage from pin sites, the dressing can be changed every other day

• You may shower with the fixator, cleaning all pin sites gently with soap and water

• The extremity can be lifted by the fixator to facilitate wound care and transfers