What You Need to Know After Surgery

What to Expect After Your Surgery

• You will still be wearing Sequential Compression Devices that will intermittently squeeze your legs to help prevent blood clots and generally aid with your circulation. These will be removed when you are ready to get up and move around.
• Breathing exercises with an Incentive Spirometer will help you prevent pneumonia and other respiratory complications. You should use your spirometer every hour while you are awake. Your nurse will review with how to use the spirometer.
• There may be a tube draining fluid, which usually stays in until your first postoperative doctor's appointment. Most patients remain in the hospital overnight and the stay may be extended if complications develop

How to Manage Your Pain

• You may have medicine that will help relieve or decrease your pain so that you can move around more easily and recover faster. 
• Let your nurses know if you are feeling pain or if the medication given to you is helping (or not helping) the pain. It is important for them to know if you are having any other reaction to the medication in addition to pain relief. Many pain medicines are available, and this information will help your doctor prescribe the best one for you.

Let Your Nurse Know If You:

• Have pain
• Have nausea
• Have difficulty breathing
• Feel chilled
• Feel feverish
• Feel pain, redness, or puffiness at your IV site

Diet

Your IV will remain in place until you can tolerate clear liquids. Most people are able to eat and drink soon after they wake up from anesthesia. Unless an intravenous medication, such as an antibiotic, has been ordered, your IV will be removed at this time.