Are You Sick?

Key Points

• Follow all of your post-op instructions carefully. This will help prevent problems after surgery.
• It is common for people to have some symptoms after surgery.
• Mild or moderate pain and swelling at the incision site are common. These symptoms usually peak 2 to 3 days after surgery and then get better.
• Many people also feel a little dizzy, sleepy, or drowsy. Nausea (feeling sick to stomach), and vomiting (throwing up) are also common. These symptoms usually last less than 24 hours.
• You can treat mild post-op symptoms with self-care at home.

Problems after Surgery

More common problems that may occur after surgery include:

• Anesthesia Side Effects: Anesthesia (medicine used to put you asleep during surgery) causes side effects in many people. Common side effects are dizziness, drowsiness, nausea, and vomiting. These symptoms usually get better within 24 hours.
• Infections: The most common post-op infection is a surgical wound infection. Symptoms are wound pain or swelling that worsen, spreading redness or red streaks, and pus. Other common infections are pneumonia and urinary tract infection. All post-op patients with fever should call or see a doctor right away. Fever can be a sign of a bacterial infection.
• Constipation: Many factors can cause constipation after surgery. These include anesthesia, pain medicine, poor fluid intake, and decreased activity.
• Dehydration: Vomiting and not drinking enough fluids can lead to dehydration.
• DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis): A DVT is a blood clot that forms in a deep vein. The most common place is the lower leg or thigh. All people are at risk for DVT after surgery. The main symptoms are pain in the calf or thigh and leg swelling.

Other problems include:

• Bowel blockage: This mainly occurs with abdomen (belly) surgery.
• Headache after having an epidural for pain
• Surgical wound hematoma (blood swelling at the wound site)
• Surgical wound opens up

Prevention

• Follow your post-op instructions carefully. This will help prevent post-op problems.
• Keep your wound clean and dry.
• Follow your activity limits. Avoid any vigorous activity or heavy lifting for at least 4 weeks after surgery.
• For most surgeries, you can start light exercise (walking on a level surface) the day after surgery. Walking and light exercise lowers the chance of blood clots and constipation.
• Protect the wound from injury during the month after surgery. At one week after surgery, the tissue strength of the incision is only 10% of normal. At one month after surgery, it is only 50%.
• Do not smoke for the first month after surgery. Smoking slows wound healing.

Driving After Surgery

Follow the instructions your surgeon gave you. Do not drive if you are taking narcotic pain medicine (such as Vicodin). In general, it is safe to start driving after the following time periods:

• After any procedure with IV sedation/medicine: 24 hours
• After general anesthesia: 24 hours
• After minor surgery (biopsy, vasectomy): 2 days
• After appendectomy, hernia repair, laparoscopic cholecystectomy: 1 week
• After laparotomy, hysterectomy, C-section; prostate, bowel or other major surgery: 3 weeks
• After cardiac bypass surgery, back surgery: 4 weeks