<p>In this article, the author describes undergoing open heart surgery for bicuspid aortic valve disease describes how the dressings chosen for his postoperative care affected his recovery. He explains how, despite having more than 25 years experience working in wound care marketing, he was surprised at how much the wrong dressing could influence his physical and psychological wellbeing postoperatively, and suggests ways in which healthcare practitioners could address dressing choices for surgical wounds.</p>