After Your Surgery

We will be assessing your level of pain from the time of admission until you receive our postoperative call at home. We need to inform and prepare you for each step of the process. This education will begin with our first contact. You will be repeatedly asked to rate your pain from a numerical scale called the Visual Analog Pain Scale, or for children, the Faces Pain Scale. Using the results of our communication we will alter the therapy as needed in order to assure your comfort.

The management of your pain will be taken very seriously. We will often use a combination of different modalities to help make you comfortable, choosing from oral medications, intravenous medications, nerve blocks, injection of local anesthetic during the surgery, etc. and prior to the surgery, the management of your pain should be discussed with both your anesthesiologist and surgeon. Please feel free to bring up any concerns or fears you may have. Remember that information on pain management gives you the appropriate expectations and hence a smoother, more comfortable recovery.

Common Side Effects of Anesthesia/Sedation

There are a number of potential side effects of anesthesia. None of the side effects are particularly long-lasting, and tend to occur straight after anesthesia. These side effects include:

• nausea and vomiting
• feelings of heaviness or sluggishness
• temporary confusion and memory loss (more common in the elderly)
• difficulty passing urine
• bruising or soreness from the IV site
• shivering and feeling cold
• sore throat, due to breathing tube
   

Tips for Preventing Nausea and Vomiting

Tell your care team – report nausea as soon as it occurs, and tell us if you have a history of nausea after surgery.

Control your pain – Don’t skip your pain medication because you are feeling nauseated. Pain control can help decrease nausea and vomiting after surgery.

Don’t rush your diet – A slow return to normal foods is an ideal way to minimize nausea. Start with clear fluids and mild foods, such as dry toast, clear soup and crackers.

Combat dehydration – drink plenty of fluids. Choose water and other caffeine-free clear fluids. “Flat” ginger ale can also be soothing.

Treating pain

It is important to remember:

• Take your pain medication as prescribed 
• Pain is different for everyone
• Pain may be dull, stabbing, cramping, throbbing, constant, on and off, etc.
• Treating pain early usually brings quicker and better control
• Some pain medications may cause constipation - drinking plenty of fluids, moving around
  and increasing fiber in your diet will help

Managing pain at home

• Apply hot or cold compresses, if instructed by your physician
• Use pillows for added support
• Relax with techniques such as aromatherapy, meditation, listening to music
  and resting in a dimly lit room

Excessive Bleeding or Signs of Infection:

Call your doctor if you notice any excessive bleeding or signs of infection, such as:

• Malaise or suddenly feeling exhausted
• Fever of 101 or more
• Hot Incision may feel hot to the touch
• Redness or red streaks on surrounding skin
• Swelling/Hardening may occur if tissue becomes inflamed, could appear swollen or puffy
• Drainage that is foul smelling or white, yellow or brown in color and thick in texture