Pre-surgery tattoo question

[Michael O]

Heading for a valve replacement surgery in early August and want to get a couple of tattoos in before blood thinners make it more difficult. I have a question about location.

For various IVs/lines/etc, where did they put the punctures? I'm hoping that the web of the thumb and the mid-forearm (inside) will be clear.

Thoughts?

 

[Warrick]

Yep expect wrist, neck, and chest for tubes and wires for surgery.
If you havent had and angiogram already its either femoral or radial artery (inside thigh or wrist).
So pretty sure thumb webs and mid forearms left untouched.

 

[Chuck C]

Heading for a valve replacement surgery in early August and want to get a couple of tattoos in before blood thinners make it more difficult. I have a question about location.

For various IVs/lines/etc, where did they put the punctures? I'm hoping that the web of the thumb and the mid-forearm (inside) will be clear.

Thoughts?

I had IVs in my forearms while in the hospital- closer to the inside elbow rather than the wrist, on both sides and in my neck. You might not want to get anything on the forearms that could obstruct the view of your veins. It is not just the IVs, but also they will likely take blood samples at least once per day and they often will use a visual to find a good vein. I had some issues with INR after release and had to get blood drawn at the lab daily for several days. It got to the point where I looked like a junking with the underside of both arms bruised from the hospital IVs and so many blood draws. They ended up moving further up my forearm to draw the blood to find spots that were not bruised yet. Personally I would stay away from tattoos of the forearm.

 

[Michael O]

Closing the loop on this so the info is out there if anyone wants it. Areas that received enough interactions that a tattoo would be disturbed, or may present skin of less than optimal suitability for tattoos in the future:
- sternum for everyone doing OHS
- high belly right below the rib cage/diaphragm area
- high belly approx at bottom of the rib cage area, following a line down from the nipples
- inside wrists
- inside elbow
- side wrists
- carotid
- high chest right below collarbone

Thumb web untouched, but based on a couple of convos, that's used more in older people.