Tips to Recover from an Abdominal Surgery

As soon as one is released from hospital after going through an abdominal surgery, the patient must make a checklist and an early recovery strategy before leaving home. Do follow the following tips and recover soon.

1. Do make prior arrangements for a safe and comfortable journey back to home. Ensure that you have made transportation arrangements to go home safely. Use your own car or book any cab or take any friend’s help. Place a cushion over your abdomen to keep it safe from jerks.
2. Do go for post-surgery checkup. Book an appointment with your surgeon post-surgery. This would ensure that surgery did not cause any side-effect.
3. Understand the schedule for taking medicines. Usually the patients are given painkillers. If you think you are not getting relief from it then ask your surgeon to prescribe you an alternative. Patients are likely to suffer from constipation post an abdominal surgery. If that happens, intake more fibrous food, fluids and indulge in light physical activities. Patients can also ask for cheaper alternative medicines.
4. Check for certain signs and symptoms and take adequate steps:
   • Take adequate sleep. There are chances that you may feel dizzy and fatigue, therefore one must observe change in sleep patterns. Have patience. Things will become normal in due course of time.
   • You will also be subjected to little pain from the incision. Take your medicines as directed in order to get an early relief from pain.
   • Draining of yellow color liquid from the incision in little quantities post the surgery is normal. If the drainage continues even after 7 to 14 days with redness around incision, it is a clear symptom of infection. Consult your surgeon immediately for the cure.
   • Removal of urinary catheter from the bladder may cause minor difficulties during urination. Situation will become normal in few days. If discomfort persists, consult your surgeon. 
5. Identify the following dangerous symptoms and call your doctor right away.
   • Persistent vomiting or nausea
   • Incapability to digest food or fluids
   • Swelling in leg
   • Abnormal body temperature
   • Infection at the surgical site
6. Maintain a healthy and supervised lifestyle post surgery.
   • It will take few days to return to your normal routine life. So have patience until then.
   • Go for morning and evening walks. Avoid heavy exercises as such activities may cause physical strain.
7. Take care of your surgical incision
   • Surgical incision should be regularly cleaned or washed gently. Try to keep the surgical site dry until the stitches are removed.
   • After 5-7 days of surgery, the stitches would be removed by the surgeon. Avoid putting ointment on the stitches until then. It will take few weeks for the scars to fade.

Under proper care and supervision, the patient will soon recover post an abdominal surgery and will be able to get their life back on track. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a General Surgeon.