Abdominal Laparoscopy - Know Vital Tips Before & After It!

The outcome and the procedure of an abdominal laparoscopic surgery vary among patients. The extent of the surgery, the length of the procedure, the surgeon, the hospital nursing staff, and a number of other factors vary with each patient.

Moreover, the recovery or the healing time also varies among patients. What applies to one patient may not apply to another. Generally speaking, surgeons will tell you that it takes only a few days to recover from a laparoscopic surgery, but this is not true to specific cases as in many cases, the recovery time has been longer than expected. So, a laparoscopic surgery is subjective to the health of the patient and the extent of the procedure; however, there are some tips that may prove to be helpful for you to deal with a laparoscopic surgery and to improve your healing process.

Here are some useful tips that you can follow before the surgical procedure.

• After you have consulted your doctor and made up your mind on the procedure, then it will be useful to watch some surgery videos and read about the procedure to prepare yourself mentally. The videos can be gory and hence discretion must be maintained.
• You can read blogs by patients who have undergone laparoscopic surgery to get a better understanding of the procedure and its implications.
• Eight hours prior to the procedure, do not drink or eat anything.
• Ask someone to accompany you on the day of the procedure.
• Make sure that you fix a pre-op appointment with the surgeon to clear any doubts about the surgery, anesthesia or any such concern.
• You can shave the part of your body where the surgery will be performed by yourself or be prepared for someone else to do the same at the hospital.
• Prepare your hospital bag with the necessary items and inform the person accompanying you about the items in your bag.

Here are some useful tips that you can follow after the surgery.

• Keep yourself active after the procedure to enhance the healing process and to relieve any flatulence.
• Stick to comfortable clothing and preferably loose clothes.
• Avoid taking a bath for a week or as advised by your surgeon.
• To avoid constipation and to stay hydrated drink at least 2-3 liters of water a day.
• Hold a pillow against your stomach to lessen the pain while sneezing or coughing.
• Don’t get up straight from your bed. Roll sideways and use the support of your arm to stand up.
• Avoid driving for at least 2 weeks.
• Go for regular check-ups with your surgeon or doctor to ensure that the incisions are healing properly.