Post surgery care can be critical to a full recovery, and often, some sort of followup care is required. Some things you’ll want to consider after surgery are possible side effects or complications from the procedure, and any warning signs that may require medical attention.
After any in-patient or out-patient surgical procedure, there will be side effects. Some level of pain is often an aftereffect of surgery. The patient also may experience soreness, swelling, bruising, or numbness around the area the surgeon cut. When they are discharged, their surgeon will give them a list of instructions to follow and a number to call if they experience any alarming side effects.
To assess post surgery care needs, the surgeon or discharge nurse will explain how the patient may feel, and what they will be able to do or not do over what period of time. This is sometimes referred to as the “care plan.”
Other questions usually involved in the care assessment/care plan include:
- When is it usually OK to resume normal activity?
- How long will I be laid up?
- What kind of help might I need when I get home?
- When may I go back to work?
- When is it ok to start exercising again?
- Are there any other restrictions I need to follow?
Besides the expected side effects above, there sometimes may be complications after a surgical procedure. These unexpected consequences have a direct link to the surgical procedure and may result from or in: accidental injury, infections, reactions to anesthesia, or too much bleeding. Existing medical conditions also may contribute to complications after surgery
The most common postoperative complications include:
- Fever,
- Small lung blockages,
- Infection,
- Pulmonary embolism (PE), and
- Deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
You should call your doctor if you have a temperature of 100.5°F (38°C), or higher, for more than 4 hours; or if the surgical area swells or reddens; or if you have ongoing or increased drainage from the site; or the drainage becomes thick and smells bad. Call the number provided on the care plan or go to the emergency room.
If you require post-surgery care, First Care Home Services provides the skilled nursing care you need throughout Miami Dade and Broward Counties. Contact Us here or give us a call at 305-945-9025. We strive to return calls within 30 minutes so you can get started with the services you need.
Contributing Source: https://medlineplus.gov/aftersurgery.html (March 2021)
