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How can you care for yourself at home?
Activity
- Rest when you feel tired.
- Be active. Walking is a good choice.
- Allow your body to heal. Don't move quickly or lift anything heavy until you are feeling better.
- Hold a pillow over your incisions when you cough or take deep breaths. This will support your belly and may help to decrease your pain.
- Do breathing exercises at home as instructed by your doctor. This will help prevent pneumonia.
- You will probably need to take 2 to 4 weeks off from work. It depends on the type of work you do and how you feel.
- You may shower, if your doctor okays it. Pat the incision dry. Do not take a bath for the first 2 weeks, or until your doctor tells you it is okay.
Diet
- Your doctor will give you specific instructions about what to eat after the surgery. For the first few days, you will need to follow a liquid or soft diet. Bit by bit, you will be able to add solid foods back into your diet.
- Your doctor may recommend that you work with a dietitian to plan healthy meals.
- If your bowel movements are not regular right after surgery, try to avoid constipation and straining. Drink plenty of water. Your doctor may suggest fiber, a stool softener, or a mild laxative.
Medicines
- Be safe with medicines. Read and follow all instructions on the label.
- If the doctor gave you a prescription medicine for pain, take it as prescribed.
- If you are not taking a prescription pain medicine, ask your doctor if you can take an over-the-counter medicine.
- Your doctor will tell you if and when you can restart your medicines. You will also be given instructions about taking any new medicines.
- If you stopped taking aspirin or some other blood thinner, your doctor will tell you when to start taking it again.
Incision care
- If you have strips of tape on the incisions, leave the tape on for a week or until it falls off.
- Wash the area daily with warm water, and pat it dry. Don't use hydrogen peroxide or alcohol. They can slow healing.
- You may cover the area with a gauze bandage if it oozes fluids or rubs against clothing. Change the bandage every day.
- Keep the area clean and dry.
When should you call for help?
Call 911 anytime you think you may need emergency care. For example, call if:
- You passed out (lost consciousness).
- You are short of breath.
Call your doctor now or seek immediate medical care if:
- You have pain that does not get better after you take pain medicine.
- You can't pass stools or gas.
- You are sick to your stomach or can't keep down fluids.
- You have loose stitches, or your incision comes open.
- You have signs of a blood clot in your leg (called a deep vein thrombosis), such as:
- Pain in your calf, back of the knee, thigh, or groin.
- Redness or swelling in your leg.
- You have signs of infection, such as:
- Increased pain, swelling, warmth, or redness.
- Red streaks leading from the incision.
- Pus draining from the incision.
- A fever.
Watch closely for changes in your health, and be sure to contact your doctor if:
- You have new or worse symptoms of reflux.
- You have trouble or pain swallowing.
- You do not get better as expected.
Current as of: April 30, 2024
Author: Ignite Healthwise, LLC Staff
Clinical Review Board
All Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.
