What to Expect After Surgery: A Recovery Guide

Recovering from surgery starts the moment you wake up from the anesthesia. Your Schneck General Surgery team will take you to a dedicated recovery room where they can monitor your vitals, watch for complications, and keep you comfortable. 

There, they may have you do a series of physical and breathing exercises, such as coughing to remove any fluid buildup in the lungs or moving your legs to encourage blood flow.

Once your team determines you are recovering well, they will guide you on at-home practices to ensure a full recovery. They will also tell you what symptoms to watch for. After all is said and done, you will know what to expect after surgery before you are discharged from the hospital.

Following our surgery recovery tips will help you get on your way to healing fully. 

Common Post-Op Symptoms: What's Normal Vs. What's Not

Mindfulness in recovery extends to your bodily sensations. This means staying mindful of how you're feeling and any symptoms you are experiencing.

Normal Post-Operation Symptoms

Here's what you may experience as symptoms after your procedure:

• Nausea/throwing up from the after-effects of anesthesia
• Soreness around the incision, IV site, and/or in your throat from the breathing tube
• Thirst
• Gas and/or constipation
• Trouble sleeping

None of these symptoms are direct causes for concern. Of course, continue to monitor your symptoms and tell your doctor if you notice anything changing or getting more intense.

Not Normal Post-operation Symptoms

• Blood clots: A mass of blood can get stuck in a vein, leading to pain, redness, or swelling in the affected area. In some cases, the blood clot can travel to the lungs, causing a pulmonary embolism. Symptoms of a pulmonary embolism are chest pain, lightheadedness and fainting, trouble breathing, coughing up blood, fast heartbeat, or low blood pressure.
• Excessive bleeding: If you are noticing blood coming from the surgery site, return to the hospital immediately. Blood loss can cause your body to go into shock (a drastic decrease in blood pressure, which slows blood flow throughout the body).
• Infection: If the surgical incision site is not properly cleaned and bandaged afterward, it can lead to infection. Signs of infection include redness, pain, fever, swelling, or a bad smell and pus coming from the wound. An untreated infection can also lead to shock.

When to Call Your Doctor

After your surgery, if you experience any of the not normal symptoms listed above, call your doctor for guidance. If your symptoms are severe, go to the ER immediately or call 911 if you are unable to drive there yourself.

If your sensations are not severe and fall under the list of normal symptoms, feel free to still contact your doctor with questions or concerns. They may be able to give you tips for relieving any discomfort. 

Follow-Up Care

For the first few weeks after your surgery, you will have follow-up care visit with your doctor. This is so they can monitor your healing, check for any signs of concern, and make modifications to your pain medications and/or recovery plan. These check-ins are important for your healing and will ensure you can return to your normal lifestyle smoothly.