Post Anesthesia Care Unit
After surgery you'll be taken to a recovery room in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit. At this time, your physician will meet with family members and answer any questions they might have.
The nurse will frequently check on you during this time, taking your blood pressure, pulse, respiration and checking your dressings. Your nurse can also administer pain medication if needed. As you wake from anesthesia you may experience symptoms such as dry mouth, chills, blurring vision and pain.
Outpatients
30 minutes to an hour after surgery, outpatients will be taken from the recovery room to the outpatient surgery area to continue recovering and prepare for discharge. The anesthesia and/or pain medications you receive make it unsafe to drive or be on your own for the first 24 hours. You must arrange for an adult to drive you home and we recommend that you have someone stay with you on the first night.
Inpatients
After recovery time, you'll be transported back to your regular hospital room.
Recovery
Always follow the directions given to you by your physician. Light physical activity such as walking helps speed up the recovery process by improving circulation, blood flow and bowel movement. If confined to a bed you should reposition yourself every two hours.
Deep breathing and coughing exercises also help with recovery by boosting circulation, clearing the lungs and lowering the risk of pneumonia. You should do them several times a day for one to two days after surgery. Coughing may not be recommended after certain procedures. In those cases, take in deep breaths and expand the lungs fully.
Wound care
- Always follow your physician's instructions
- Keep the area clean and dry
- Wash your hands before/after dressing the wound
- Watch for signs of infection, including fever, redness, swelling or discharge that smells
Pain control
- Always communicate with your doctor about any pain, using a 1-10 scale
- Follow all post-surgery instructions
- Report any side effects
- Take pain meds promptly
- Try drug-free methods of pain relief such as breathing techniques, relaxation exercises or cool packs
- Use a system for keeping track of medications
A nurse will follow-up with you after your surgery via a phone call. This is always a good time to ask additional questions or communicate any concerns.
For more information, please call:
(309) 345-4542