2. Getting Ready for Surgery – A Few Tips
Here’s a list of stuff you should have or do before your big day.
Fill your prescriptions. You don’t want to be waiting in line at the pharmacy on the way
home from your procedure.
Fill your kitchen with healthy, easy to digest food. All pain meds must be taken with
food. I recommend yogurt, applesauce, toast, crackers and yes, Jello (as long as it isn’t
green). Avoid salty foods the first few weeks after surgery. A high salt diet will make any
post-operative swelling worse.
If you are having eyelid or other facial surgery, make sure you have plenty of ice on
hand. Ice water packs to the surgical site help with post-operative bruising and swelling.
Make at least two “nests” for when you come home, one in your bed and one on the
couch or in an easy chair. Make sure you have a supply of pillows and blankets,
something to drink, a light snack, a phone, a good book (or a book on tape), some good
DVD’s and maybe even a stuffed animal to keep you company. Keep a copy of the
information our office has provided you. You can refer to it if you should have
questions. Have a pad of paper and a pen so you can jot down any questions that may
come up.
Buy some gauze dressings to use to replace any that become blood stained. Also,
sanitary napkins work great on incisions. Buy some baby-wipes. They make a sponge
bath so much easier.
3. Consider buying a body pillow. These can really help you get comfortable, particularly
after body or breast surgery.
Sunglasses and a pretty scarf are very helpful if you are having facial surgery. You can do
the Jackie-O look for your essential outings.
Get those old jammies out of the back of your drawer. The first few days after surgery
may find you oozing a little from the incisions. Save your nice jammies for later. Make
sure you have a week’s supply of jammies and/or comfortable clothes. I don’t want you
doing laundry for a while. Wear slip on slippers or shoes the first week or so. You won’t
want to be bending over.
A nice hankie. Post-op blues is pretty common. I think it’s from a combination of
wanting to look and feel better now, dammit, not in two weeks, narcotic pain meds,
social isolation and physical inactivity. The post-op blues are most common with facial
procedures but can also occur with breast and body contouring. Don’t be embarrassed
to let me know if you are feeling down. I didn’t make the cheerleading squad in high
school but I’m really good at pep talks.
Some quiet projects. Once you are feeling better you will be getting cabin fever. Resist
the urge to go to Costco or aerate your lawn. Before surgery, make a list of some quiet
projects you’ve been meaning to do but haven’t had the time. Now you have the time.
My list would include: updating my photo albums, mending the clothes in my mending
basket, organizing my junk drawers, sorting through my sock drawer, sorting through
my cosmetic drawer, maybe a little ironing and maybe a little embroidery. I bet you can
come up with a pretty long list too.
4. Make sure your care giver is on board. You will need to have someone drive you home
from your procedure. If you have general anesthesia, you will need someone to spend at
least the first night with you and you will need someone to drive you to your first few
post op visits. You can drive yourself if you are off your narcotic pain meds.
Take essentials off those high shelves and low drawers. You won’t want to be reaching
or stooping the first week or so after surgery. Go through your house and make sure the
stuff you are likely to need is accessible at about elbow height.
Consider renting a walker if you are having major body contouring after massive weight
loss. Patients who are having lower body lifts, thigh lifts, flank lifts, etc. will find that
puttering around the house will be easier with the support of a walker. It’s much better
to be up puttering around than lying in bed. Getting up and about will speed your
healing and help prevent blood clots and it also improved your attitude.
AVOID: Alcohol, smoking and smokers, salty or spicy food, overly critical people, heavy
lifting, bending, coughing, sneezing, and too much television (it shrinks your brain). Do
not weigh yourself for at least 2 weeks after surgery. Everyone retains fluid after surgery
and your weight will fluctuate widely. Also, if you are having facial surgery, get rid of
those mirrors along with the scale for a couple of weeks.
Questions? Write them down and we can review them at your preoperative visit.
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