Confirm with your doctor before doing any of the following.
Activity
- You will likely feel tired for at least 1 week after your surgery. Take your pain medicine as needed in order to stay active, but rest as needed for recovery. Take short walks 2-3 times a day. This will help reduce the risk of blood clots following surgery. You may use the stairs as needed as long as you are not dizzy or weak. Make sure someone is around the first few times you use the stairs or exercise. Do not lift anything greater than 10-15lbs for 6 weeks.
Driving
- You may drive when you can react safely in an emergency situation. You must not be taking pain medicines at the time you are driving, nor should you have a great deal of pain, as this will affect your ability to react quickly.
Lifting/Coughing
- Practice 10 deep breaths every hour and 2 coughs every hour, (for at least 12 hours a day), for the first week after surgery. This will decrease your risk of lung problems or pneumonia. Do not lift heavy objects (more than 10-15 pounds) for the first 6 weeks. Also avoid pushing, pulling or abdominal pressure for these first 4 weeks. When coughing, be sure to place a pillow over the incision and gently press inward to reduce the pressure (from coughing) on your incision.
Medications
- Use your pain medicine as prescribed. Pain medications may cause nausea on an empty stomach so we recommend you take with it food.
- Do not take Vicodin (Norco) or Percocet (Roxicet) and Tylenol at the same time as Tylenol is in both of them.
- To avoid constipation take Benefiber or other psyllium product (Metamucil, Citrucel, etc) one teaspoon twice a day. Take a stool softener such as Colace or Miralax twice a day as well. You can also take MIralax AND a stolol softener AND fiber. If you are not having bowel movements (or having bowel movements less than every 3 days), your bowel movements are hard, you have to strain with bowel movements, and / or your bowel movements are small pebbles - YOU ARE CONSTIPATED.
- Start with 200 mg Colace twice a day and fiber. Make sure that you are drinking at least 64 ounces of non-caffeinated liquids daily.
- If that does not work then ADD Miralax 1-3 times a day.
- If that does not work, then ADD one dose of magnesium citrate or milk of magnesia.
Incisions
- If your incision was closed with stitches:
- Wash the area daily with warm, soapy water and pat it dry. Don't use hydrogen peroxide or alcohol, which can slow healing.
- You may cover the area with a gauze bandage if it weeps or rubs against clothing. Change the bandage every day.
- Keep the area clean and dry.
- If your incision was left open to heal, change the bandage, called a dressing, as instructed by your doctor.
- Dressing changes may hurt at first. Taking pain medicine about half an hour before you change the dressing can help.
- If your dressing sticks to your wound, try soaking the dressing in warm water for about 10 minutes before you remove it. You can do this in the shower or by placing a wet face cloth over the dressing.
- You may notice greenish grey fluid from your wound as you start to heal. This is normal. It is a sign that your wound is healing.
- and decrease inflammation. Use a think cloth between the incision area and the ice pack.
Diet
- Eat a regular diet but make sure to get plenty of water. Avoid foods that bother your stomach
- Take the stool softener as prescribed to avoid constipation. If you have loose stools half the dose of the stool softener. If you still have loose stools with a half dose, then stop the stool softener.
When Should I call the Physician?
- Diarrhea: Occasional loose bowel movements are not uncommon. However, constant watery diarrhea, especially with fever, can mean there is an infection of the bowels.
- Inability to drink liquids due to nausea
- Fever with or without cough (temperature of at least 101.4F): This could be a sign of lung, wound or stomach infection. Elevated heart rate: If your heart rate is more than 100 beats per minute, this could be a sign of infection.
- Sudden shortness of breath and/or chest pain: This could be related to a heart problem, such as a heart attack, or could be related to a blood clot to the lung (pulmonary embolus) or a lung infection.
- Leg swelling and pain: Blood clot formation in the leg, particularly if it is on one side, could cause swelling with pain in the calf.
- Passing out: This could be a sign of low blood pressure, which could be caused by blood loss, low blood sugar or other causes.
- Wound drainage: Gold colored drainage is normal. If you develop drainage from your wound that is thick, greenish-brown color, has a foul odor, redness, and/or tenderness, it may be a sign that your wound is infected. Call your doctor or seek medical attention.
- ----- UNABLE TO URINATE WITHIN 8 HOURS AFTER YOUR SURGERY
MEDICATIONS that you MAY be recommended to take (please check with your doctor before taking them):
Ibuprofen: Take 1 tablet every 8 hours with food or milk for 1 week. After 1 week take 1 tablet every 8 hours with food or milk as needed for pain.
Tylenol 500mg: Take 2 tablets every 6 hours for 1 week. After 1 week, take 1-2 tablets as needed for pain every 6 hours.
Colace 100mg: Take 2 tablets twice a day to prevent constipation. If you have loose stools take 1 tablet
Oxycodone 5mg: Take 1-2 tablets every 4-6 hours for pain not controlled by tylenol or motrin.