Whether you are going home directly or staying in the hospital overnight, the plan for your care after surgery will focus on managing your discomfort, caring for your incision and drains, and increasing your activities.
Managing Discomfort
Managing your discomfort will be an important part of helping you increase your activity. When you are discharged from the hospital, you will be given a prescription for pain medication. This will contain a narcotic (for example, Tylenol® with codeine or percocet), which you should take as directed for pain relief. You should take this medication freely without worrying about addiction. If you wait too long, your pain may not be as easily relieved. To avoid nausea, it is best to take pain medications after you have eaten.
Do not drive while you are taking narcotics. You must be able to move freely in the car to observe oncoming traffic and to react quickly without being limited by pain or weakness. If you are concerned about grogginess and your ability to remain alert while taking your pain medications, please discuss this with your nurse or surgeon to find out what other options may be available.
If your prescribed pain medication is not working or you have nausea, vomiting, or dizziness, call your surgeon’s office. Due to state and federal regulations, any changes or renewals of narcotic prescriptions must be done during regular office hours. They cannot be phoned into the pharmacy. Someone will need to come to the clinic to pick up the prescription for you.
Narcotics often cause constipation. To help prevent this, eat bran cereals or muffins as well as raw fruits and vegetables. Also, drink plenty of fluids. An over-the-counter stool softener also should be taken while you are taking your narcotic medication. This will keep your stool soft, but it will not cause you to have a bowel movement. You may need to take a laxative, such as Milk of Magnesia, until your normal bowel function has returned.
Disclaimer:
This site is not an attempt to practice medicine or provide specific medical advice, and should not be used to make a diagnosis or to replace or overrule a qualified health care provider's judgment. Nor should users rely upon the BWH web site if they might need emergency medical treatment. We strongly encourage users to consult with a qualified health care professional for answers to personal questions.
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