After Surgery

After surgery, your bandages and dressings should remain in place until you are instructed to remove them.  Please see the video or handout specific to your surgery for further instructions.  If still unclear, please ask me before removing your bandages.  In most cases, I perform a plastic surgery closure which allows you to shower 48 hours after surgery.

The hospital or surgery center will typically place compression stockings called Ted Hose on your legs to help decrease the risk of blood clots.  These should remain in place until your activity level is back to normal.  You may remove them to shower.

If you were instructed to take a blood thinner, such as Aspirin, this should start in the evening on the same day as your surgery.

Whenever possible I recommend RICE therapy. RICE is an acronym that stands for rest, ice, compression, and elevation.  Elevation is usually the most important component of this therapy.  When possible, keep the affected extremity above the level of your heart to reduce swelling and pain.  This will prevent the throbbing sensation you have after surgery.

You may be given an ice machine to help control swelling after surgery. Please do not place the pad directly on your skin. Follow the included instructions for use. A good rule of thumb is to ice for 30 minutes, then take a break for 30 minutes. A helpful trick is to freeze several water bottles and to place them in the cooler instead of free ice cubes. This will keep you from running out of ice. If not given a device, regular ice or a bag of frozen vegetables can be used in the same manner.

In general, please do not use or bear weight on the affected extremity until instructed to do so.  Please see the video specific to your surgery for further instructions.  If still unsure, please ask before moving or using the extremity.

Fevers and body temperature fluctuations are quite normal after surgery and do not necessarily represent infection.  You should take deep breaths, spend as much time as possible sitting up, and attempt to go for a walk to help regulate body temperature fluctuations.  Any fever greater than 101.5 degrees, or which lasts more than 3 days should be reported to me immediately.

Itching at the surgical site is also very common and usually indicates a normal healing response. Please avoid scratching your incision, or using balms, ointments, or salves. If the itching becomes too severe, try using ice over the incision or Benadryl.

You may return to driving when you are no longer taking narcotic pain medications, when you are safely able to control your vehicle without distracting postsurgical dressings such as slings, splints, or braces, and when your pain is sufficiently controlled to allow you to completely focus on the road.  Remember, if you are involved in an accident and are physically or mentally impaired in any way, you will likely be held liable so please protect yourself and ensure you are safe to drive.

In most cases, your first postoperative follow-up visit will be 2 weeks after surgery.  The timing does not need to be exact and can safely be extended up to 3 weeks after surgery.

Finally, please remember you can get hold of me after hours in urgent or emergent situations.  Call the clinic and listen to the prompts to leave a voicemail.  This will be forwarded to me and I can return your call.

Again, thank you for trusting me and I hope you have a healthy and speedy recovery.