• Care of your Surgical Site
  • Pain Control
  • Activity
  • Bowels/Constipation
  • Diet
  • Sleep
  • Work
  • Driving
  • Additional Information
  • When to Call

Please Read Carefully

The following instructions are to help you with home care after surgery. If any difficulties arise or questions occur, please don’t hesitate to call during office hours. Office hours are Monday-Thursday from 8 am to 4:00 pm and Friday from 8 am to 2:30 pm. Please try to limit your calls to these hours (unless it is an emergency) in order to allow us to review your office and surgical records.

Care of your Surgical Site

  • You may remove any gauze bandages 24 hours after surgery. If you had minimally invasive surgery, you will either have surgical glue or steri-strips on the incisions. These will usually stay on for about 10-14 days. Once the steri-strips start to lift, you may pull them off.
  • Your sutures are absorbable and under the skin.
  • OK to shower with your normal soap and water 24 hours after surgery. Remove all bandages prior to showering. It is ok for the water to spray onto your abdomen. Pat dry with a towel after the shower. The steri-strips will dry. Do not cover with a bandage unless you are directed to do so by the office.
  • No submerging the incision for 2 weeks. This means no baths, hot tubs, or pools during this time.
  • Do not put any ointments or medications (including scar treatments, ointments, hydrogen peroxide, or alcohol) on the incisions unless directed to do so by your surgeon.
  • Itching, bruising, pinching, numbness and pulling sensations are all normal after surgery.
  • It is normal for the incision to be raised and feel hard to the touch. This is how the tissue heals and usually takes about 6-8 weeks to resolve.
  • If the incision becomes red, increasingly swollen, hot to the touch, starts to have drainage or opens up, please call the office.
  • If you experience itching or develop a rash around the surgical site, this may be due to a sensitivity to the soap or surgical glue. You make take over-the-counter Benadryl for the itching. Please contact the office if you develop a rash.

Pain Control

  • You will most likely experience pain after your surgery. Pain is an expected part of the normal healing process and present even with minimally invasive surgery. The pain is usually most severe the day after surgery and will gradually lessen.
  • The use of ice and relaxation techniques are helpful for pain relief.
  • Use an ice pack on the surgical area on and off throughout the first 48 hours
  • You should start taking Acetaminophen (Tylenol) and Ibuprofen (Motrin) after surgery. These are available over the counter.
  • Take 1000 mg Tylenol every 6 hours for the first 48 hours
    Max dose of Tylenol in 24 hours is 4000mg
  • Alternate with 600 mg Ibuprofen (Aka Motrin or Advil) every 6 hours for the first 48 hours
    Max dose of Ibuprofen in 24 hours is 2400 mg.
  • The best course is to alternate these throughout the day (so you are alternating between Tylenol and Ibuprofen every 3 hours). After the first 48 hours, use as needed but do not exceed max doses.
  • If you have a preexisting condition which prevents you from taking either Tylenol or Ibuprofen products, please let us know prior to surgery.
  • A prescription narcotic pain medication may be prescribed for a few days after surgery. Only take these if you are having severe pain after taking the Tylenol and Ibuprofen regimen.
  • Severe pain is defined as pain that does not allow you to function (eat, breathe deeply, walk or sleep).
  • Do not take pain medications on an empty stomach as this can lead to nausea.
  • Do not drive, drink alcohol or consume other recreational drugs while taking pain medications or within 48 hours of anesthesia
  • The majority of patients are expected to be off prescription pain medications after the first 48 hours. Refills will generally not be given without an appointment for evaluation.
  • Prescription pain medications cannot be called into the pharmacy per the law and therefore will not be provided by the on-call physician. If you feel you are having severe pain after office hours, you will need to be evaluated in the Emergency Room.
  • If you were prescribed a narcotic, you were asked to sign a “Start Talking” form the day of surgery verifying that you understand opioid side effects, overdose risks, potential for developing dependance or addiction, not to share narcotics, how to store and dispose of safely. Please ask your provider if you have any questions before you are discharged home or call the office with any questions.

Activity

  • You are expected to be up and walking around after surgery. You should walk around the house for at least 15 minutes 3 times per day the first few days after surgery and gradually increase this every day after. This will help prevent blood clots after surgery.
  • You may go up and down stairs, perform light housework and cook as tolerated.
  • No lifting over 10 pounds for at least 2 weeks after surgery. This includes no pulling or pushing objects over 10 pounds. The total length of your restrictions will be given to you at your post-op appointment (this varies based on the type of surgery).
  • If you have small children, try to avoid picking them up as much as possible. We know that this may be unavoidable at times, but it will help with your pain and healing.
  • Bending over and light stretching are ok as directed by your level of comfort during the activity. These activities may cause some soreness, which is ok. Avoid activities that increase your pain.
  • Over-exertion may initiate or intensify pain.
  • Fatigue is expected after surgery and is part of the normal healing process. This typically will last for about 2-3 weeks.
  • You may resume sexual activity when you feel up to it as long as it does not cause you pain.
  • An acceptable rule to follow for increasing your activity is to increase activity by about 25% per week.
  • 1st week: 25-50 % of normal activity
  • 2nd week: 50%
  • 3rd week: 75%
  • 4th week: back to 100% of normal activity (if cleared by your surgeon
  • Listen to your body—if it hurts, don’t do it!

Bowels/Constipation

  • Surgery can cause your intestines to be sleepy which may cause gas pain, bloating and constipation. All prescription pain medications also cause constipation.
  • If you are taking a prescription pain medication, it is a good idea to take a stool softener (such as Colace) while you are taking the pain medication.
  • Drinking water, walking and taking fiber supplements are all helpful to prevent/treat constipation. If you do not have a bowel movement after 48 hours, take an over-the-counter laxative, such as Miralax or Milk of Magnesia. These products can take 1-3 days to be effective, so it is recommended to start them early. Sometimes an enema or suppository may be needed as well.
  • If you are having diarrhea for longer than 24 hours, please call the office. Avoid taking Imodium (unless directed by the office to do so) as this may then cause constipation.

Diet

  • For most surgeries, you will not have a special diet.
  • If you are placed on a soft diet—avoid raw fruits and vegetables, tough meats and spicy foods
  • You may get full fast after surgery—if so multiple small meals throughout the day are advisable
  • Drink at least 8 glasses of liquids daily to avoid dehydration
  • It is ok to start with a light diet the day of surgery and return to a normal diet the following day.
  • It is normal to have a decreased appetite for a few weeks after surgery. Some people even experience a change in taste for a short time after surgery.
  • You may experience nausea after surgery. This may be secondary to anesthesia or pain medications. First, stop taking the narcotic pain medications. If the nausea is not controlled after 24 hours, please call the office.
  • To optimize healing, it is essential to have adequate nutritional intake. A balanced diet with recommended daily servings of lean protein, vegetables and grains can help ensure adequate nutrition.
    products can take 1-3 days to be effective, so it is recommended to start them early. Sometimes an enema or suppository may be needed as well.
  • If you are having diarrhea for longer than 24 hours, please call the office. Avoid taking Imodium (unless directed by the office to do so) as this may then cause constipation.

Sleep

  • You may sleep however you are comfortable.

Work

  • Timing for return to work is different for everyone. This depends on your surgery and the type of work you do. Please discuss this with your surgeon so you have a plan before surgery.
  • Most people are advised to take 1-2 weeks off work. If you do return to work sooner, please limit your activity to about 50% of what you would normally do until your post-op appointment.
  • If you need documentation filled out for work, please bring this to the office. It typically takes 3-5 days to process these forms. These will not be filled out at the time of surgery.
  • General time l for return to work after surgery (dependent on type of surgery):
  • Little to no lifting at work: 1-2 weeks
  • Moderate lifting less than 10 pounds: 2-4 weeks
  • Heavy lifting over 10 lbs: 4-8 weeks depending on the surgery

Driving

  • General anesthesia can impair your reasoning and motor skills for 48 hours so operating machinery (such as driving) is not advised.
  • Absolutely no driving while taking pain medications. You may drive when you have not needed prescription pain medications for 48 hours. Make sure you feel safe to drive and can make quick movements in response to unexpected situations.

Additional Information

  • You may develop pain in your shoulder after minimally invasive surgery from the carbon dioxide placed in your abdomen during the procedure. We do our best to get most of the CO2 out, but small pockets may persist. This will naturally dissolve shortly after surgery. The discomfort is usually mild and will usually resolve in a few days. Walking will help.
  • Do not use nicotine products for at least 2 weeks after surgery. This will impair healing.
  • Avoid unprotected sun exposure on the incisions for 1 year to optimize the appearance of your scars. Scars take 1-2 years to fully mature and have their final appearance. It is normal for your scars to be red and raised right after surgery. This will typically resolve by about 6-8 week after surgery. If you wish to use a scar type product, silicone-based products (either ointment or reusable silicone sheet) are recommended and can be started after all the scabbing on the incisions has resolved (typically about 4 weeks).

When to call the office: 248-853-3100

  • Fever over 101 °F

  • Shaking Chills

  • Pain that is increasing despite pain medications

  • Redness, warmth or drainage from the incision

  • Increase unexplained swelling around the incision

  • Persistent nausea or inability to take in liquids
    Inability or difficulty with urination

  • Persistent shortness of breath or chest pain

    For the speediest response, please call the office before 4 pm. After this time, response may be delayed based on availability of the on-call physician (as they may be in surgery).