After a surgical procedure, the one thing you might be thinking about is getting back on your feet and living your life like normal again. There are some things you can do to improve your surgery recovery faster. However, you need to listen to your body, and if you are in pain, slow down until you feel like you can continue.
Doctor’s Orders
Your doctor will give you a list of instructions for when you go home. Follow these instructions because if you don’t obey any limitations on what you can do, then you might set back your recovery time and be in bed longer. There are reasons why your doctor tells you not to do certain things after surgery whether it be to decrease the risk of infection or so that you don’t tear any stitches.
Keep Any Appointments
If you have had staples or stitches that need to be removed, you must see your doctor after surgery. This appointment is usually within a few days of the procedure, but it could be a couple weeks out depending on the incision and the type of surgery. You might think that you don’t need to go to your follow up appointment if you feel better, but the doctor needs to look at the incision to make sure it is healing properly. The doctor will also check to see if there are any signs of infection. If everything looks good, then you can likely start getting back to a daily routine.
Removing Gauze and Other Bandages
After surgery, the doctor may have placed gauze in the incision to keep it dry. This will need to be removed shortly after the procedure. Tubing could have been placed in the incision to drain any fluids. A medical extrusion would need to be done to remove the tubing, and it is often completed in the office at the follow up appointment.
Decrease Infection
The last thing that you want to happen is for the incision to get infected. The infection could spread to the bloodstream, and the procedure might have to be redone, or at least cleaned. Wash your hands after every meal and after you go to the restroom. You should also take any antibiotics that have been prescribed. Take the medication for the prescribed amount of time even if you feel better.
Moving Around
As soon as you are given the okay from the doctor, start walking and moving. This will help you feel better, and it will also get the digestive tract working properly again.
Whether you have a minor surgery like having the wisdom teeth removed or something major like an appendectomy, there are things that you need to do to ensure your recovery is quick and painless. Monitor your incision for infection, and listen to what the doctor says before doing something on your own such as cleaning or working.