Postoperative Care
Immediately following your surgery, we will bring you to the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU). You will typically be here for 30 minutes to an hour after your operation. This is where you wake up from anesthesia. We will also give you extra pain medication or medication for nausea if needed. Once you are awake, we will either get you to your hospital room or start preparing for your discharge.
Your discharge nurse will give you specific instructions for what to do at home after surgery and when to follow up with your surgeon. This information will vary from person to person, depending on the type of surgery you receive and the circumstances surrounding that surgery.
General Postoperative Guidelines
While the steps you need to take to heal following your surgery are going to be unique to your specific situation, there are some general guidelines we ask our patients to follow after their surgery.
Home Preparation
Before surgery, we encourage all of our patients to prepare their homes for the duration of their recovery period. This may involve preparing a station next to your bed to ensure your medications and fluids are easy to access and asking a close friend or family member to help you around the house and with household chores. This may also include preparing meals ahead of time to have ready when you need them.
Diet
Following your surgery, it’s important that you drink plenty of clear fluids and eat nutrient-dense foods. We encourage our patients to drink a lot of water throughout the day and eat meals rich in fiber, protein, and vitamins. Ensuring you eat healthy and stay hydrated will also help you throughout your recovery period.
Exercise
Following your surgery, it’s important for you to rest. We want all of our patients to feel comfortable throughout their recovery, so we encourage them to take some time to sleep and recover in the first few days following their surgery. Once our patients feel up to moving around, we encourage them to walk short distances around the house to help promote healthy blood flow.
It’s important our patients do not overexert themselves throughout their recovery period. For this reason, we ask all our patients to refrain from rigorous exercise for up to 8 weeks following their surgical procedures. We encourage you to talk to your doctor before going back to the gym or participating in your favorite sports following your surgery.
Get Additional Assistance
Should you need any assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us. One of our expert staff members will be happy to sit down with you, listen to your concerns, and discuss a course of action to help you get back on your feet again.
For more information regarding your postoperative care instructions or how to prepare for your surgery, please call North Florida Anesthesia Consultants in Jacksonville, Florida, at (904) 387-4030. We’ll be happy to help address your concerns, so you can go into your surgery feeling comfortable and confident in your quality of care.
