THINKING CLEARLY
If general anesthesia is given or if you are taking narcotic
pain medication, it may cause you to feel different for 2 or
3 days, have difficulty with memory, or feel more fatigued.
You should not drive, drink alcohol, or make any big
decisions for at least 2 days
NUTRITION
When you wake up, you will be able to drink small amounts of
liquid. If you do not feel sick, you can begin eating
regular foods.
Continue to drink lots of fl uids, usually about 8 to 10
glasses per day.
Eat a high-fi ber diet so you don’t strain during bowel
movements
ACTIVITY
Slowly increase your activity. Be sure to get up and walk
every hour or so to prevent blood clots.
Do not lift or participate in strenuous activity for 3 to 5
days for laparoscopic and 10 to 14 days for open procedure.
You may go home in 1 to 2 days for a laparoscopic repair. If
your appendix ruptured or you have other health issues or
complications, you may stay longer.
It is normal to feel tired. You may need more sleep than
usual.
WORK AND RETURN TO SCHOOL
You may usually return to work 1 week after laparoscopic or
open repair, as long as you don’t do any heavy lifting.
Discuss the timing with your surgeon.
Do not lift items heavier than 10 pounds or participate in
strenuous activity for at least 4 to 6 weeks.
BOWEL MOVEMENTS
Avoid straining with bowel movements by increasing the fiber
in your diet with high- fiber foods or over-the-counter
medicines (like Metamucil® and FiberCon®). Be sure you are
drinking 8 to 10 glasses of water each day.
PAIN
The amount of pain is different for each person. Some people
need only 1 to 3 doses of pain control medication, while
others need more. The new medicine you will need after your
operation is for pain control, and your doctor will advise
how much you should take. You can use throat lozenges if you
have sore throat pain from the tube placed in your throat
during your anesthesia.
WOUND CARE
- Always
wash your hands before
and after touching near your incision site.
- Do
not soak in a bathtub until your stitches or
Steri-Strips are removed. You may take a shower after
the second postoperative day unless you are told not to.
- Follow
your surgeon’s
instructions on when to change your bandages.
- A
small amount of drainage from the incision is normal. If
the drainage is thick and yellow or the site is red, you
may have an infection, so call your surgeon.
- If
you have a drain in one of your incisions, it will be
taken out when the drainage stops.
- Steri-Strips will fall off in
7 to 10 days or they will be removed during your fi rst
offi ce visit.
- If
you have a glue-like covering over the incision, allow
the glue to fl ake off on its own.
- Avoid
wearing tight or rough
clothing. It may rub your incisions and make it harder
for them to heal.
- Protect the new skin,
especially from the sun. The sun can burn and cause
darker scarring.
- Your
scar will heal in about
4 to 6 weeks and will become softer and continue to fade
over the next year.
- Sensation around your
incision will return in a few weeks or months.