Follow Instructions from Your Doctor
One of the most important things you should do after surgery is to follow all the post-surgery care instructions from your doctor. Don’t be naive enough to think that your doctor’s instructions don’t apply to you. If you’re instructed not to take a bath after surgery, don’t. If you’re told not to lift more than ten pounds, don’t. Your doctors know what they’re talking about, so listen to them. Heeding their advice is an important component of your after-surgery care.
Go to Your Follow-Up Appointments
In the days, weeks, and even months after your surgery, it’s important to attend all your scheduled follow-up appointments. Follow-up appointments are necessary to ensure you’re healing properly and that any incisions are clean and free from infection. Not all surgeries leave behind a visible incision, though, and these surgeries might require your doctor to thoroughly examine the surgical site another way. Sometimes this might involve blood work or more invasive examinations. In addition, follow-up appointments are a great time to discuss any medications you’re on and how they’re affecting you and your healing. If needed, adjustments to your medications may be made.
Properly Care for Your Incision
Effective post-surgery care requires proper care and attention when it comes to any incisions your surgery left behind. Do your part of looking after yourself by learning how to care for your incision properly. Never touch a fresh incision site with dirty hands, and keep it clean with water and soap. Incision care doesn’t have to be complicated. Just practice common sense and listen to your doctor, and you’ll be fine.
Get Up and Move
After surgery, you might be tempted to sit or lounge around a lot. While resting is part of the healing process, so is regular movement. Even incorporating a simple afternoon or after-dinner walk into your routine can go a long way into preventing complications and constipation and will make it easier to jump back into your regular physical activities once you’re fully healed.
Have you undergone a surgery recently? How did you cope during the post-surgery period?