After Your Surgery - Discharge Instructions

It is very important to follow your doctor's instructions when being discharged after your surgery. Here are our general discharge guidelines, which your doctor and nurse will go over with you before you leave the hospital.

General Anesthesia Or Sedation

• Do not drive or operate machinery for 24 hours
• Do not consume alcohol, tranquilizers, sleeping medications, or any non-prescription medication for 24 hours.
• Do not make important decisions or sign any important papers in the next 24 hours.
• A responsible adult MUST stay with you for the rest of the day and also during the night.
• Children may appear flushed for several hours after surgery.

Activity

• You are advised to go directly home from the hospital. Restrict your activities and rest for a day. Resume light to normal activity tomorrow according to how you are feeling.
• You may resume normal activity today according to how you are feeling. Do not engage in strenuous activity that may place stress on your incision.

Fluids And Diet

• Begin with clear liquids, bouillon, dry toast or soda crackers.
• If you are not nauseated, you may go to a regular diet. Greasy and spicy foods are not advised.

Medications

• If given a prescription, use as directed. When taking pain medications, you may experience dizziness or drowsiness. Do not drink alcohol or drive when you are taking these medications.
• You may take non-prescription "headache remedy" type medication that you normally use, preferably one that does not contain aspirin.
• You may resume your daily prescription medication.

Care Of The Incision

• Do not change your dressing, but keep it clean and dry.
• Change your dressing when wet or soiled.
• You may remove your dressing in 24 hours.
• You may shower and wash incision while showering after dressing is removed.

Arms, Hands, Legs And Feet

• Elevate your ___________ as much as possible to lessen swelling and discomfort.

Call Your Surgeon Should Any Of The Following Occur:

• Fever over 100 taken by mouth or 101 if taken rectally
• Pain not relieved by medication prescribed
• Swelling around incision
• Increased redness, warmth, hardness or foul odor around incision or examination site.
• Numbness, tingling or cold fingers or toes.
• Blood-soaked dressing (Small amounts of oozing may be normal.)
• Increasing and progressive drainage from incision or examination site.
• Unable to urinate.
• Persistent nausea/vomiting or inability to eat or drink.