Wound Care

You may remove the dressing and shower after 48 hours from your surgery day. Dry the wound carefully and leave the white "steri-strips" on the skin for the first week to improve the cosmetic result. There is no need to cover the incisions or put antibiotic lotions on them. It is not unusual for the area around each incision to feel bruised. However, if the incisions get red or begin to drain fluid more than 2 days after surgery, please call us. You may have a drain put by your surgeon; please stick to the drain care instructions given to you at the hospital before discharge.

Return to Work

There is no mandatory length of time that one must stay out of work after surgery. Persons who have more physically demanding jobs should give themselves more time to heal prior to returning to work (usually 10-14 days). Patients with more sedentary or light-duty type of work can return to work after their first post-operative evaluation if they desire. We are happy to sign "work-excuse" notices for patients at the first post-operative appointment. We do not determine "disability" status for our patients. We advise our patients to ambulate as soon as possible, even during their first post-operative day.

Pain Control

Some pain and bruising is not unusual. The pain should steadily improve. Most of the pain is from swelling and bruising. As a result, anti-inflammatory medications like Advil/Motrin, Ibuprofen, and Tylenol work very well. We encourage patients to take 1-2 of these tablets every 8 hours with some food during the first 5 days after surgery. You will also be given a prescription for a mild narcotic that will help reduce any additional pain.

Activity

In most cases, common sense applies to daily activities. Please stay active but avoid straining yourself. It takes up to 2-4 weeks for the healing process to be partially complete. Daily walks are encouraged. It is OK to ride in a car, walk up stairs, and go outside. The faster people return to being active, the fewer complications they have after surgery.

Please call our office for any concerns and for your post-operative appointment 7-14 days after surgery.