Recovering from surgery
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After your surgery, the focus of your care will be on recovering well from the operation.
If you are having minor surgery, you may be planned to have ‘Day-stay surgery’. This is where you are discharged home the same day as your surgery so you can recover at home.
If you are having major surgery, you will stay in hospital and be admitted to a surgical ward after your operation. On the ward a big team, made up of your surgeons, nurses, physiotherapists, pharmacists, dieticians and others, will work together to make sure you recover well and avoid any complications from your operation.
Avoiding complications after surgery
Complications may be more likely to happen because of the type of surgery you are having or because of health conditions you already have. You can have a role in reducing the chance of complications happening by working with your medical team to improve your health conditions, which you can read about here, and by learning about what you can do after surgery to speed up your recovery.
Preventing breathing complications
Breathing complications, such as low oxygen levels or pneumonia, can be common after major surgery, especially if the surgery was on your chest or abdomen, or if you already have a breathing health condition such as smoking or COPD.
There are some simple steps you can take after your surgery to reduce the chance of having a breathing complication which are shown in this video.
Speeding up your recovery
After your surgery your body will be working hard to heal and recover. While you might need to rest more than usual, it is important that you keep working steadily toward increasing your activity levels back to normal.
There are lots of benefits to getting out of bed early and returning to normal activities, such as:
- Faster recovery from surgery and return to your normal level of health.
- Faster discharge from hospital.
- Better mood and energy levels.
- Less risk of chest infections or blood clots.
- Less constipation.
Set goals for yourself and aim to spend as much time out of bed as you can – either sitting in a chair, standing next to your bed, or taking short walks. On the ward the nurses and physiotherapists will help you with mobilising and pain relief will be available if needed.
It is very common to feel thirsty after surgery. You will normally be able to drink water soon after your operation. You can drink as much water as you feel able.
You may feel like you have lost your appetite. Unless your type of surgery requires you not to eat, it is usually easier to eat little and often. If you feel sick you can ask for medication to help.
Managing pain after surgery
After surgery, it is normal to have some discomfort or pain. Pain can be reduced with medications and with other aids and techniques. It is important that pain is managed so that you feel comfortable and can keep working towards getting back to your normal level of activity.
You can read more information about pain after surgery here.
The ways that pain relief might be offered include:
- Oral (medications that you swallow)
Most pain relief after surgery can be managed with oral medications. This can be with simple pain relief like paracetamol and anti-inflammatories, with weak opioids such as codeine or tramadol, or with strong opioids such as morphine. In most cases you can have several different oral medications at the same time. - Intravenous (IV) (medications given into your vein)
During your surgery and in recovery, you will be given IV pain relief to ensure your pain is at a manageable level.
If you are having a major operation, you may be given a PCA (Patient controlled analgesia) pump. This allows you to control your own pain relief. With the push of a button, the pump will give a set amount of opioid drug (such as morphine) into your vein. The pump will be programmed with safety limits to prevent overdose and you will be closely monitored on the surgical ward.
- Local anaesthetic
Local anaesthetic is used to numb the surgery area. It is injected during your operation but will continue working for several hours into your recovery. - Nerve block
Regional Anaesthesia (also known as a nerve block) can be used to provide pain relief for when you are recovering from surgery. Your anaesthetist gives an injection of local anaesthetic around a nerve, or group of nerves, to numb a larger area of your body. This can be done with a single injection, or continued by an infusion of local anaesthetic, and so the numbness can last anywhere from several hours to several days, depending on what is right for you and your surgery. See 'Regional aneasthesia: Peripheral nerve block' here to learn more. - Epidural
An epidural is a small, narrow tube which is inserted by an anaesthetist into your back, to allow an infusion of local anaesthetic that will keep you comfortable. It is usually used after major surgery to the chest, abdomen or pelvis. See 'Regional aneasthesia: Spinal and epidural' here to learn more. - The Pain Team
If you are planned to have major surgery, or have complex pain needs, you may be reviewed by the Acute Pain Service after your operation. This is a team of specialist doctors and nurses who will help manage your pain after surgery, and help with the transition off strong pain medications as your recovery progresses.
Managing pain after discharge from hospital
Pain after surgery can be managed with both medications and with non-medication treatments. Non-medication options include being active, sleeping well, connecting with friends and whānau, and with treatments like Physiotherapy and Rongoā Māori. You can read more about non-medication treatments options here.
Depending on your surgery, you may be discharged home with a prescription for pain medication. You can find useful information about pain relief medicines here.
After a major operation, you may be prescribed opioid pain relief, such as morphine. Opioid medicines are useful for treating severe short-term pain. However, because they can cause serious side-effects, opioid medication should be used at the lowest possible dose, for the shortest possible time. You can find more information about opioid pain medicines here.
Discharge home after surgery
Day-stay surgery
Day-stay surgery is when you are discharged home the same day as your operation. You will need to plan for your recovery to avoid running into any issues.
- After surgery you will need someone to drive you home as you cannot legally drive for 24 hours after having sedation or an anaesthetic.
- Avoid alcohol for 24 hours and only take medications that are prescribed for you.
- You will need an adult who can be responsible for you, stay with you overnight. This could be your partner, whānau, or a friend. If you live far from the hospital, you should consider booking a motel closer to the hospital to spend the night after surgery and before a long drive home.
- If you usually live alone, arrange to have a support person stay with you until you have recovered enough that you can safely manage on your own.
Discharge from hospital
Before you leave hospital, you will be given:
- Medication Prescription
When you are discharged home, you may be given a prescription. This can be taken to any pharmacy. There is a community pharmacy in Waikato Hospital, on level 1 of the Meade Clinical Centre. - Medical Certificate
An off-work medical certificate will be available if you need it. The amount of time you need to take off work will depend on the type of surgery you are having and the type of work you do. - Discharge Summary
Your discharge summary contains information for your GP and can be challenging to read due to the medical jargon. If there was any specific medical advice given to you, it will be written in this document.
Please seek medical advice as advised by your discharge summary, or phone Healthline on 0800 611 116 if you have any of the following:
- Vomiting more than once.
- Develop excessive pain, swelling or bleeding from your surgery wounds.
- Chest pain or breathlessness.
- Fever or chills.
- Become confused.
- Or have any other worrisome symptoms.
In the event of a medical emergency, contact your nearest hospital or accident and emergency centre, or call 111.