Recovery
Yellowstone Surgery Center provides outpatient services where you are not ‘admitted’ and you typically go home the same day that you visited the surgery center.
Your Surgeon or Physician Assistant (PA)
- Will answer any questions you may have.
- Will write your discharge orders.
- Will write any prescriptions you will use at home.
Your Nurses
- The nurses will inspect your surgical dressing, may discontinue any IVs that may have been placed during surgery.
- The nurse will go through a list of items to make sure you are comfortable with your home care and that you are able to recognize and prevent any complications before you are discharged.
Discharge
- After the discharge instructions have been reviewed, your driver (a responsible adult over the age of 18) will be asked to sign your discharge papers.
- At this time, your driver will be asked to bring the vehicle around while your nurse gets you ready to leave the facility.
- Your nurse will transport you out of the facility with a wheelchair and wait with you until your ride arrives. Your nurse will also assist you getting in your vehicle.
- Discharge Papers and Additional Notes: For our most popular procedures we have the discharge papers, and additional notes available for download.
Nausea
Do you have persistent nausea? Have you tried:
- Taking pain pills with food?
- Taking anti-nausea meds if prescribed?
- Drinking enough fluids?
- Increasing your food intake gradually?
- Start with full liquids and advance as your stomach tolerates
Experiencing this?
Contact your physician’s office
Infections
Recognizing the Signs of Infection
- Increased swelling and redness at the incision site.
- Change in color, amount, odor of drainage.
- Increased pain in knee.
- Fever greater than 101 degrees.
Signs of Urinary Infections
This information is only if you had a foley catheter inserted
- Burning with urination.
- Increased frequency of urination.
- Fever greater than 101 degrees.
Preventing Infection
- Take proper care of your incision, especially washing your hands before providing any care to your incision.
- Follow physician’s after-care instructions regarding dressing care.
- Keeping your hands clean is one of the most important steps we can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. Many diseases and conditions are spread by not washing hands with soap and clean, running water.
- Hand Hygiene – Information from the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) “Stop Germs! Stay Healthy! Wash Your Hands”
Experiencing this?
Contact your physician’s office
When?
- Before, during, and after preparing & eating food
- Before and after caring for someone who is sick
- Before and after treating a cut or wound
- After using the toilet or touching garbage
- After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet
- After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
- After touching an animal, animal feed, or animal waste
- After handling pet food or pet treats
For more details on handwashing, visit www.cdc.gov/handwashing
How?
- Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap.
- Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Be sure to lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
- Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.
- Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
- Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.
Bleeding
Signs and symptoms of bleeding
- Blood that saturates the bandage covering your incision
- Swelling and/or bruising at the incision site
- Late signs:
- Anxiety or confusion
- Faster heart rate than normal for you
- Faster breathing than normal for you, or shortness of breath
Experiencing this?
Contact your physician’s office
Constipation and Stool Softeners
- Constipation is stools that are too dry or large to pass easily and is a common side effect from pain medications, anesthesia and lack of mobility.
- As the body is likely to be more sensitive or prone to damage than usual, it is best to use gentle constipation relief, like stool softeners, after your procedure.
- Continue to take stool softeners at home after your procedure until you have quit taking the prescription pain medication.
Please consider the following instructions:
- Stool Softener / Laxative: It is recommended to take a stool softener twice a day while you are taking narcotics. Do not use laxatives regularly. They work on an occasional basis and do not correct what causes your constipation.
- Physical Activity: Follow your physician or physical therapist’s protocol or guidelines regarding physical activity.
- Increase the fiber (roughage) in your diet:
- Fruits, vegetables, and whole grain products.
- Commercial vegetable fiber products (like Metamucil).
- Drink extra liquids: Try to drink 8 large glasses of water or juice each day unless your doctor has restricted your fluids.
Contact your Physician if:
- Constipation continues after eating more fiber and drinking more liquids
- There is an increase in abdominal pain or bloating of the abdomen
- Blood in your stool (bright red or black) becomes visible (not sure if this is the right wording)
- Any new problems or concerns arise.
Your Physician may prescribe blood thinner after surgery
- Surgery may cause the blood to slow and coagulate in the veins of your legs, creating a blood clot.
- This is why you take blood thinners after surgery.
- If a clot occurs despite these measures, you may need to be admitted to the hospital for close monitoring.
- Blood clots can form in either leg.
Recognizing the Signs of a Blood Clot (in legs)
- Swelling in thigh, calf or ankle that does not go down with elevation.
- Pain, heat and tenderness in calf, back of the knee or groin area.
Prevention of Blood Clots
- Perform ankle pumps.
- Walk several times a day.
- Wear your TED hose (if ordered) / Compression Stockings
- Take your blood thinners as directed.
Compression Stockings / TED Hose
Compression Stockings help improve your blood flow and can lessen pain and swelling in your legs. They can also lower your chances of getting deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a kind of blood clot, and other circulation problems.
Experiencing this?
Contact your physician’s office promptly
Pulmonary Embolus
An unrecognized blood clot could break away from the vein and travel to the lungs.
If you Suspect Pulmonary Embolus: Call 911 immediately or go to the Emergency Department!
Recognizing the Signs of Pulmonary Embolus
- Sudden chest pain.
- Difficult and/or rapid breathing.
- Shortness of breath.
- Sweating
- Confusion
Prevention of Pulmonary Embolus
- Prevent blood clot in the legs.
- Recognize if a blood clot forms in your leg and call your physician promptly.
Expected Pain
You have the right to expect appropriate pain control. The GOAL for your pain management is to make your pain TOLERABLE, it is NOT to take away all of the pain.
- A tolerable pain level is anywhere on the pain scale of 1-4, YOU decide.
- An “ache” or “soreness” is a tolerable pain level.
- You should be able to get up and move around but DO NOT take pain medication to do more than what your physician wants you to do.
- You need to be able to rest and heal.
- You also need to be able to cough and take deep breaths.
If you need help with managing pain, talk to your nurse or doctor. Using a Pain Scale to describe your pain will help our staff determine the severity of your pain and help them make the best decisions to help manage it.
Using the Pain Scale
A person usually self-reports their pain using the provided scale with 0 representing “no pain” and 10 representing “unimaginable pain”. Doctors use the pain scale to better understand certain aspects of a person’s pain. Some of these aspects are pain duration, severity, and type.
Pain Control
Your physician may write a prescription for pain pills that will be used at home. The Yellowstone Surgery Center does not fill prescriptions; therefore, you will need to be prepared to purchase your pain medication at your pharmacy of choice.
There are other things you can do to help your pain, these include:
- Position yourself in a “neutral” position, head elevated 45 degress, pillow under knees.
- Ice incision area – do not put directly on skin, 20 minutes 4-6 times a day (NO ICE unless approved by your physician).
- NO HEAT unless approved by your physician.
- Distract yourself by watching TV, listening to music, or reading.
- Take other medications as directed by your physician that are not opioids.
- Take your medication as ordered, DO NOT take more than prescribed unless directed to do so.
- Do not drink alcohol or use “street” drugs while taking your pain medication.
- Do not take over the counter medications, supplements or vitamins unless directed to do so.
- If you have left over medication take to a pharmacy to dispose of it, don’t save it to use “later”.
- If you have sleep apnea, USE YOUR CPAP machine even if you are going to just take a nap.
- Take a stool softener twice a day as long as you are taking the narcotic to avoid constipation.
Common issues that will dissipate
- Increased swelling
- Tightness
- Soreness
- Muscle spasms or cramping
- Surgery site pain
- Muscle pain from positioning
- Sore throat from breathing tube placed during procedure
Body Changes
Sleeping
- It is normal to have to have difficulty sleeping.
- Do not sleep or nap too much during the day.
- If you have sleep apnea, USE YOUR CPAP machine even if you are going to take a nap.
Relax
- Medication works better when you are relaxed.
Appetite
- Your appetite may be poor, your desire for solid food will return.
- Drink plenty of fluids to keep from getting dehydrated.
Moving / Activity
Walking
- Refer to physician’s discharge instructions with mobility.
Physical Therapy
- If ordered by your physician, you may be required to attend Physical Therapy after being discharged.
Complete Patient Procedure Guide
Select from the Following Items for Your Procedure Guide
