Recovery in hospital after surgery
Recovery in hospital after surgery
It’s good to know that your operation is done! Recovering from surgery usually involves doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals keeping an eye on you as well as helping you get back onto your feet. Be prepared for ups and downs as recovery is rarely a smooth process. You will always be well supported in this time, so please don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Pain
It is normal to experience some pain after surgery. Usually, this is around 4 out of 10 on a pain scale on day 1 and getting better after that. If you are in pain, be sure to let your nurse know so he or she can provide you with more medication to control your pain. In general, you need to be sufficiently pain-free to be able to cough effectively otherwise sputum can build up in your lungs and lead to collapse and infection.
Eating and drinking
From day one, it is usual to be able to eat and drink, and you should certainly keep well hydrated in this period. You may feel nauseated from the pain killers and general recover from the surgery you had yesterday, but food remains an important component of your recovery and you should try to eat as much as you can tolerate.
Mobility
On day one, you may have lines, tubes and catheters that are used to monitor your health and provide pain control. The clinical team will decide when these lines and tube will come out, and even if they are still in, you may have the option to move around with them (please ask). Once the lines and tubes are out, be sure to walk as much as you can. Mobility is critical to recovery and helps reduce the risk of clots in the legs.
Mental wellbeing
How are you coping? It will always be possible to talk to someone during your recovery. Usually, this will be your nurse or fellow patients next to you.
Preparing for discharge
Once the healthcare professionals are satisfied with your progress, they will inform you of a discharge date. Before you are discharged, be sure you review any new medications that you are on (usually with the hospital pharmacist or nurse) and how long you will need to take them for as well as hen to restart your existing medications.
Pain medication can cause constipation, so please ensure you are well hydrated, fully mobile and adjust your diet to include a healthy amount of fibre. Sometimes the medical team will prescribe additional medication for your bowels (laxatives) if the pain medications are constipating – you will need to manage the correct amount of laxatives to take at home with direction from your healthcare professionals.
Be sure you arrange for someone to collect you from hospital and to be with you at home for a few days until you are better recovered. Before you leave hospital, ensure you know when you will need to return to see your doctors.
Track your symptoms
Don’t forget to track your symptoms daily (or more) in the first few days and weeks after your operation so you can report back to your healthcare professionals on your recovery. A detailed documentation of your symptoms will help us plan the correct recommendations for your care.
September 2022
Professor Lim discloses personal fees from Abbott Molecular, Glaxo Smith Kline, Pfizer, Norvatis, Medtronic / Covidien, Roche, BMS, Beigene, Amgen, grants from ScreenCell, Clearbridge Biomedics, Illumina, Guardant Health, Bayer, Takeda Oncology, and personal fees and grants from Boehringer Ingelheim, Medela, Lilly Oncology, Johnson and Johnson / Ethicon, AstraZeneca.