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Listed below are
procedure specific instructions for your post-operative care.
Just click on the appropriate link.
Breast
Surgery
Hernia Surgery
Gallbladder
Surgery
Parathyroid
Surgery
Minor
Office Procedures
If your operation is not listed above, here are some general
post-operative instructions to follow:
Use this QR code to link directly to
this page on
your smartphone for more convenient
reference
(Recommended iPhone app-
QR Reader)
 DeKalb
Medical video on pre and post-op care
Use this QR code to link directly to a page
to watch a
video about your visit to the operating room.
General
This page is intended to be a
handy reference for the typical questions which arise during the
post-operative period, specifically related to the surgery you
had. Most questions you may have will likely be answered
here. However, if you feel you need to speak to the physician on
call, you may call our office number 404-508-4320 at any time of
the day or night. After hours, this phone number is forwarded to
our automated answering service, which will typically connect
you to the surgeon on call in just a minute or so, while you are
still on the line. If the surgeon cannot take your call
immediately, he will return your call, usually within about 20
minutes. If your call is not returned in 30 minutes, quality the
second message. Of course, if you feel you may be
having a life-threatening emergency, you should call 911 for
immediate assistance.
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PAIN
MEDICATION
BANDAGES
DIET
DRIVING
FOLLOWUP OFFICE APPOINTMENT
PAIN MEDICATION:
The medicine
which was used may affect you for up to 24 hours after your
procedure, so you might feel sleepy; this feeling will slowly
wear off. BECAUSE THE MEDICINE MAY STILL BE IN YOUR SYSTEM FOR
THE NEXT 24 HOURS, YOU SHOULD NOT:
Drive a car
or operate machinery or power tools
Drink any
alcoholic beverages
Make any
important decisions, such as signing important papers
A
prescription for pain medication may be given by your physician.
This should be taken as directed, and if the pain is not
relieved, contact your physician. If your physician does not
prescribe medication, you may take a non-prescription,
non-aspirin medication which can be purchased at your drugstore.
Please follow the directions on the label. Please be aware that
any pain medication can affect your judgment.
The narcotic
medications typically prescribed (eg, hydrocodone or oxycodone)
can cause nausea, itching, or other side effects. It is best
NOT to take these on an empty stomach. If you are nauseated or
just not eating much yet, at least take a cracker along with
this medication, to help lessen the possibility of worsening
nausea. If you experience itching after taking one of these
narcotic medications, it is likely due to an allergy to the
medication. While in most cases, this is not severe, it is most
likely best not to use even smaller doses of that specific
narcotic in the future. You can use over the counter
medications, such as Tylenol (acetaminophen), Aleve (naproxen),
or Motrin or Advil (ibuprofen) instead, and in many cases, these
options will be sufficient. But if not, call to report your
problem, and an alternative choice will be given. And if you
have experienced an allergic reaction, be sure to note the
medication name, and add it to your written list of drug
allergies and adverse effects.
Be aware that the
narcotic medications (eg, hydrocodone (Lortab), oxycodone
(Percocet)) usually include some acetaminophen. This improves
the effect of the narcotic. Be aware that large daily total
doses of acetaminophen can cause liver damage, so be sure to
follow the instructions on the package or prescription. Here is
a
link to more information about acetaminophen.
BANDAGES:
The use of ice packs is optional, but many patients find that it
helps to lessen their pain, and speed up their recovery. Some
swelling or bruising at the incision sites is normal.
Keep any
clear plastic dressings on until your followup visit if
possible.
Your may
take a brief shower leaving the clear dressings in place; do not
soak in a tub bath.
Your
dressings may become soaked or may leak. If so, you may remove
the dressings and replace with dry gauze and adhesive tape
daily. You may still gently shower and re-cover with gauze and
tape afterward.
Dressings at
the navel more often need to be replaced during the first week.
If you note any drainage under the clear dressing, it may be
best to replace sooner rather than later.
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DIET:
After
general anesthesia, you may not have much appetite for the first
1-2 days after surgery.
Start with
light foods (breads, bananas, soups) and advance as tolerated.
If you are nauseated, limit yourself to liquids until the nausea
resolves. If the nausea is your worst symptom, you may
call the office phone number (404-508-4320) and ask for some
medication to help with it.
Be aware that the pain medications prescribed, such as
hydrocodone and oxycodone frequently cause constipation. If you
are using these medications regularly for pain control, consider
taking milk of magnesia once or twice daily to help prevent
constipation from being a problem.
DRIVING:
The main
reason for restricting your driving is that your incisions will
be sore, and you might not be able to put on the brakes
comfortably enough to be a safe driver. Once you do this
quickly and without pain, you may resume driving. But before
getting out on the road, take a practice run just in your
neighborhood.
RETURN TO WORK
In many
cases, one can return to work in less than a week, but it does
depend on what type of work you do, whether you have resumed
driving as discussed above, and how much pain you are
experiencing after surgery. If your job involves heavy lifting,
or lots of standing and walking, your return to work could be
delayed a bit longer. You can get a written work release and
permission to return to work from the DeKalb Surgical office if
needed.
FOLLOWUP OFFICE
APPOINTMENT
In
most cases, your surgeon will want to see you back in the office
in about one week, unless you have been instructed differently.
You can call during regular office hours to make the
appointment, using our main office phone number, 404-508-4320.
Please be sure to make note in advance whether you have
sufficient pain medication left, and if not, you can request a
refill during your appointment. If there is any pathology report
to go over, your surgeon should typically have it available by
the time of the first visit. You may have a copy for your own
records if requested. Prior to your appointment, it would be
good to write down any questions you need answered, to be sure
you don't forget.
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DeKalb Surgical Associates