Recovering from Surgery

You will be moved to a recovery room where your heart rate, breathing rate, oxygen saturation, blood pressure, and urine output will be closely watched. Be sure that all visitors wash their hands.

Anesthesia or pain medication may cause you to feel different for 2 to 3 days, have difficulty with memory, or feel more fatigued. You should not drive, drink alcohol, or make any big decisions for at least two days.

When you wake up from anesthesia, you will be able to drink small amounts of liquid. Continue to drink about 8 to 10 glasses of water per day. If you do not feel sick, you can begin eating regular foods. Eat a high-fiber diet (for example, beans, bran cereals, whole-grain breads, greens and nuts) so you don't strain while having a bowel movement.

Slowly increase your activity. Patients usually take 1 to 3 weeks to return comfortably to normal activity. Persons sexually active before the operation reported being able to return to sexual activity in 14 days (average).

Discuss the timing of returning to work or school with your surgeon. Typically, you are discouraged from lifting items heavier than 10 pounds or participating in strenuous activity for at least 4 to 6 weeks.

Call your surgeon if you experience:

• Pain that will not go away or gets worse
• A fever of more than 101 F or 38.3 C
• Continuous vomiting
• Redness, swelling, bleeding, or bad smelling drainage from your wound
• Strong or continuous abdominal pain or swelling
• No bowel movement 2 to 3 days after the operation