Question:
Anyone else not able to get their rings off before surgery?

I have tried everything from soap to olive oil and my rings WILL NOT come off. I know they want you to take them off before surgery, but what if you can't? It is my wedding set, so not only is it sentimental, it's expensive, so cutting them off is not an option. Help! Only 2 days to go!    — Shannon Z. (posted on October 13, 2003)


October 13, 2003
Try putting your hand or fingers in a bowl of ice, your fingers will shrink and then you may be able to get the rings off. I could not wear any jewerly into surgery, also no nail polish can be worn, they have to be able to check your fingernails to be sure of good cardic funtion. I do not know the actually reason for no jewerly, but I would assume that they did not need anything getting in the way, incase they need to draw blood between fingers are something. Hope this helps
   — cindy

October 13, 2003
I also couldn't get my rings off so the OR nurse put masking tape over them. Maybe they will do this for you too!
   — Kathy K.

October 13, 2003
I had surgery twice before my wls and could not get my rings off. They put tape over them to cover them and being a nurse, I, myself, in prepping people for surgery have don e the same thing. So just ask them to tape them and refuse to let them cut them off altho, I don't think they will ask to cut them off. I'm sure they will tape them ovfer for you.
   — Delores S.

October 13, 2003
dont worry, i do not know why they act like that is so vital, ive had 2 surgeries and there was no way the rings were coming off i tried only to make them more swollen, they will put tape around them, so dont worry!! shelly
   — shellypoe

October 13, 2003
I, too was unable to remove my rings before surgery. The surgical staff taped them for me during surgery. Now, ten and a half months later, I had my rings resized from an 11 to a 7... Just wait- your turn is coming!! Best of luck to you! 295/169/150
   — Leslie M.

October 13, 2003
My hospital required the rings( also expensive and sentimental) to be removed before surgery. I had a good jewler remove them and he then repair them. You would never know they were cut.
   — Karen W.

October 13, 2003
I had my rings stuck on my fingers last year. I tried soap, oil, lotion, you name it... A friend at work told me to use windex. Believe it or not, it actually worked... Try it... it might work for you too...
   — Jessica P.

October 13, 2003
Try vaseline or like one poster said dip your had in ice to make your fingers shrink. Good luck with your surgery.
   — Tammy N.

October 13, 2003
Oh boy, have I been waiting for someone to ask me this one!!!!..OK HERE GOES...first you take a piece of string and put it under your ring going from your hand up..then you circle it around your finger as tight as you can.you want it to be on your finger like a spool...once you get it wound around your finger above the knuckle, you start unwinding the string from the bottom, and it will bring your ring up..as the string is keeping your finger from swelling and keeping it small, the ring will come off no problem...let me know if you have any problems with this OK???..(((HUGS)))..Lin
   — Linda T.

October 14, 2003
Hi Shannon ... I too had that problem (there's still an indentation where my wedding ring was!) ... anyway ... I was told to raise my hand over my head for as long as I could (I did about 10 minutes) ... then with some dishwashing liquid, they did come off. I'd be a bit weary of having the rings taped on ... although it might be OK, I'd be concerned that if for any reason you bloated up, they would cut off circulation to your finger? Just a thought ... but Good Luck! LAP RNY 06/18/03 -68
   — Karyn B

October 14, 2003
If I am not the surgery queen, I am at least one of her court. I had 7 surgeries over a 3 year period. Before I had RNY I had the same situation for at least 3 of those surgeries. They want you to take your rings off for 3 reasons, one circulatory, one to keep them from catching on anything and the third to keep them from getting stolen (yes this is a problem in many hospitals). In most hospitals, if you don't take your rings off because they are stuck, they will put tape over them to keep them on your hand and to "seal" any place it could catch onto something. Best wishes for a safe journey -
   — M B.

October 14, 2003
Shannon, I didn't take my ring off I kept it on they just put tape over it and the same with an earring I have in my top of my ear they don't do things to much like they used to, I found it out when I had back surgery in april the gal asked me if I wanted it tapred I said yes so this time around ( 11 days ago ) I just said I want these 2 things taped and they said ok. no biggie, so I wouldn't worry about it just ask them to tape it up. good luck on a sppedy recovery
   — DENISE Y.

October 14, 2003
Don't worry about it! You've got enough things to worry about with surgery being 2 days away :) I had to leave my wedding ring on through both of my c-sections, unfortunately because they wouldn't come off.
   — Debbie P.

October 14, 2003
Wow I cannot even wear my rings, because am retaing alot of water....have you tried baby oil? good luck *RD*
   — Ruschell




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