We had a recent postoperative patient compliment us on our blog and how informative it is. However, she pointed out that one thing she couldn’t find was a blog post on what to expect after surgery. So here goes!
What you should expect from yourself and your surgeon after surgery
This listicle should serve as a general outline of expectations after surgery. These include things you shouldn’t be surprised about also what you should expect from your surgeon.
- 1. You may have drainage from your incisions regardless of the type of surgery. That’s normal.
- 2. You may have redness immediately around your drain or incision but that often represents inflammation not infection. If the redness spreads further, contact your doctor, which leads to the next expectation…
- 3. You should have access to your doctor after surgery either via text, email or phone. It’s the 21st century! There’s no excuse for not being able to get in touch with your doctor after surgery.
- 4. Pain is normal so take pain medication as needed. But don’t set an alarm to wake up to take pain medication because if you’re sleeping, you’re not in pain.
- 5. Have some gauze available at home after surgery.
- 6. After a breast reduction, breast lift or tummy tuck, the incision may have some pleating. That’s normal and will flatten out with time.
- 7. If you have a breast augmentation, it’s normal for the implants to sit high initially but don’t worry, they will drop.
- 8. Drains need to be “stripped” or “milked” to avoid clotting.
- 9. It’s critically important to walk around after surgery to avoid blood clots in the legs.
- 10. Ask your doctor, but showering is recommended in our office to keep incisions clean.
Again, see what your doctor recommends but if they don’t provide you with a way to contact them postoperatively, seek out another doctor!
