immediately after the op
Once the operation is finished, you will be taken into a place called the recovery area. In here, a nurse will be checking that you’re ok. She’ll do things like check your blood pressure, pulse and temperature and will keep an eye on the area of the body where you had the surgery. You will go back to the ward once you have woken up enough from the anaesthetic. Some people don’t remember being in the recovery area at all and don’t wake up until they have got back to the ward. One of the nurses from the ward will come to collect you from the recovery area and take you back to your bed on the ward.
back on the ward
How you will be very much depends on what operation you have had.
- You might have a drip (a bag of fluid that goes into a needle in your hand or arm). You’ll have this until the doctors tell you it’s OK to eat and drink again.
- A ‘dressing’ will cover the place where you’ve had your operation and it might look a bit gunky or bloodstained at first. The nurses will change the dressing and keep a close eye on the wound site for a few days to make sure it’s healing OK. You might also have a ‘drain’ in place (a plastic tube that allows fluid and blood from the wound to drain into a small plastic bottle). This should come out a few days after your op.
- The nurses will check your blood pressure, pulse and temperature regularly. At first it will be every 15 minutes, then it will go to 4 hourly checks within a few hours of surgery. This is to make sure that you are recovering well after the operation.
- The hospital staff will try to make sure that you experience as little pain or discomfort as possible and will give you regular painkillers (this might be in injection form as well as tablets). Let them know if you need extra.
- To help prevent any infection, you may be given a course of antibiotics.
- You might see a physiotherapist who can give you breathing exercises (to help you get over the anaesthetic) as well as any other exercise advice that is relevant to your situation.
when can I see people?
You might not feel up to seeing people straight away, but it’s fine for you to have someone around to be there when you wake up from the anaesthetic, like your parents or a close friend. As soon as you feel like it, you can have visitors, but it’s probably best not to overdo things to start with.
getting over surgery
You’ll need to take things easy at first and not overdo it with too many visitors or too much activity. However, it’s good to get moving (gently) as soon as possible. The nurses and physios on the ward will give you advice about when and how to get going. Also, you need to eat well in order to help your body to heal, but you might have lost a bit of weight or feel off your food. Dieticians can give advice about this. In most hospitals, it’s OK for your family to bring in food from home that you like (or get your favourite takeaway for you!)
How long you have to stay in hospital varies depending on the type of operation you’ve had and how quickly you recover. Doctors understand that most people want to get home as soon as possible and they’ll let you go as soon as they can.
how will I feel?
Some people find that they feel a bit low when they’ve had an operation. You might be a bit irritable or tearful. This is normal. You might find it helps to talk things over with someone close to you (or a counsellor) or look at the deal with it section for more advice.
