How can I maximize my recovery from laproscopic sugrery?
August 24, 2011 4:33 PM Subscribe
How can I maximize my recovery from laproscopic surgery?
I'm having a mass on my ovary (+/- the same ovary) removed laproscopically under general aesthetic. I'll go home that same day or the next day, and would like to recover in the quickest amount of time possible.
I'm in my 20ies, obviously female, and relatively healthy/fit. I had an open appendectomy complicated by a c. diff (diarrhoea) infection that took me over 4 weeks to fully recover from, and while I know this one should go much smoother, I'm looking for ways to ensure it does!
Tips, tricks, experiences?
I'm having a mass on my ovary (+/- the same ovary) removed laproscopically under general aesthetic. I'll go home that same day or the next day, and would like to recover in the quickest amount of time possible.
I'm in my 20ies, obviously female, and relatively healthy/fit. I had an open appendectomy complicated by a c. diff (diarrhoea) infection that took me over 4 weeks to fully recover from, and while I know this one should go much smoother, I'm looking for ways to ensure it does!
Tips, tricks, experiences?
I had a large uterine fibroid tumor removed and thought I'd have to stay home for a month. I was back at work the next week. I made sure I had enough stuff to to in bed (books, computer) and that I had food in the house and I just concentrated on staying in bed without having to move around much.
posted by Melsky at 4:54 PM on August 24, 2011
posted by Melsky at 4:54 PM on August 24, 2011
I've had that surgery three times now. There isn't any miracle mystery that will help you recover faster. You just have to rest, rest, and rest some more. Remember that you are still recovering on the inside even if the scars on the outside are minimal. I had a lot of trouble eating the first two days so make sure you have soups and healthy juices. Let yourself sleep as much as you want. The first couple of days are bad and you'll feel sore and it may be hard to stand upright but it will get better very quickly. I took two weeks off from school and felt completely ready to go back.
posted by Sylvia Plath's terrible fish at 4:54 PM on August 24, 2011
posted by Sylvia Plath's terrible fish at 4:54 PM on August 24, 2011
Your shoulders are going to hurt like mad from the gas they use to inflate your abdomen. It isn't harmful, but it's the thing I remember the most from my recovery. Take your pain meds and get comfy with a heating pad; it goes away after a day or two.
posted by corey flood at 4:56 PM on August 24, 2011
posted by corey flood at 4:56 PM on August 24, 2011
When I had laproscopic surgery to remove my gallbladder, my doctor told me that moving around would help me recover more quickly. I didn't want to toddle off too far in case I became tired easily, so I would walk back and forth in my condo hallway for a while 4 or 5 times a day. My boyfriend or another friend kept me company. It felt pretty goofy, but I was able to go off the pain meds after a couple of days and was back at work a couple of days after that.
It might hurt to get up or sit down for a while -- let people help you with that. If you have pets, you might that are likely to jump or walk on you, you might want to keep them in another room.
Best wishes for a speedy recovery!
posted by amarynth at 4:57 PM on August 24, 2011
It might hurt to get up or sit down for a while -- let people help you with that. If you have pets, you might that are likely to jump or walk on you, you might want to keep them in another room.
Best wishes for a speedy recovery!
posted by amarynth at 4:57 PM on August 24, 2011
I had laproscopic surgery on the same body part (for a different reason) when I was 26.
I took it easy for a week, and then was back at work the following week, but still taking it pretty easy. Definitely don't push yourself -- I know you may be worried about missing work, but a week was pretty okay. And definitely still take it easy for a couple weeks after -- I was still walking a little funny for a couple weeks; not from pain, but from the stitches not really letting my abdomen stretch as much. The first few days after surgery it hurt like hell to cough or laugh (which made the giggle fit I got into when my father was bringing me home REALLY interesting), but that passed pretty quickly. Have a pillow on hand with you the first few days to hug real tight if you need to cough or laugh -- that helps support the muscles so you can do that. Also, don't lift anything heavy for a couple weeks either. (I really, really enjoyed all the guys in my office falling all over themselves to do all the heavy lifting for a couple weeks. Heh.)
Do NOT freak out if you try to lean over during that first week to tie your shoes but find that your body just....isn't bending over. It wasn't a pain thing, it wasn't nerve damage, it was just....my body not being able to bend over. That went away pretty fast.
Oh -- I don't know if it's a factor, but your doctor may give you a warning about sexual activity after surgery; they'll pretty much tell you no penetration for six weeks. However, just because everything else is on the table, you're still going to want to wait a week or so for everything else; having an orgasm about two days after abdominal surgery is NOT a good idea. (And I will not explain how I know that.)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:03 PM on August 24, 2011
I took it easy for a week, and then was back at work the following week, but still taking it pretty easy. Definitely don't push yourself -- I know you may be worried about missing work, but a week was pretty okay. And definitely still take it easy for a couple weeks after -- I was still walking a little funny for a couple weeks; not from pain, but from the stitches not really letting my abdomen stretch as much. The first few days after surgery it hurt like hell to cough or laugh (which made the giggle fit I got into when my father was bringing me home REALLY interesting), but that passed pretty quickly. Have a pillow on hand with you the first few days to hug real tight if you need to cough or laugh -- that helps support the muscles so you can do that. Also, don't lift anything heavy for a couple weeks either. (I really, really enjoyed all the guys in my office falling all over themselves to do all the heavy lifting for a couple weeks. Heh.)
Do NOT freak out if you try to lean over during that first week to tie your shoes but find that your body just....isn't bending over. It wasn't a pain thing, it wasn't nerve damage, it was just....my body not being able to bend over. That went away pretty fast.
Oh -- I don't know if it's a factor, but your doctor may give you a warning about sexual activity after surgery; they'll pretty much tell you no penetration for six weeks. However, just because everything else is on the table, you're still going to want to wait a week or so for everything else; having an orgasm about two days after abdominal surgery is NOT a good idea. (And I will not explain how I know that.)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:03 PM on August 24, 2011
This thread is about tips for taking care of someone else post-laproscopic gallbladder surgery, but it has some good tips that may help you prepare for your recovery.
posted by amarynth at 5:12 PM on August 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by amarynth at 5:12 PM on August 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
My doctor prescribed an NSAID (naproxen, I think) that brought down inflammation of the surgery site. According to him, taking NSAIDs does most the heavy lifting in post-surgery recovery. It helped, but I had complications from the NSAIDs causing stomach problems, and I ended up being out of work for a month dealing with hyponatremia and GERD symptoms.
Before the laparoscopy, my insides were inflated with carbon dioxide to provide room for the surgical instruments. The next two days were very painful as the CO2 trapped in my gut and shoulder expired. No amount of pain medication did much to lessen the sharp pain this caused. The best I could manage was to "lie back and think of England", distracting myself with Metafilter, etc.
Rest, take your meds, keep an eye on side effects, don't bend over too much for the first six months or so.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 5:14 PM on August 24, 2011
Before the laparoscopy, my insides were inflated with carbon dioxide to provide room for the surgical instruments. The next two days were very painful as the CO2 trapped in my gut and shoulder expired. No amount of pain medication did much to lessen the sharp pain this caused. The best I could manage was to "lie back and think of England", distracting myself with Metafilter, etc.
Rest, take your meds, keep an eye on side effects, don't bend over too much for the first six months or so.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 5:14 PM on August 24, 2011
I had a teratoma removed from my ovary 5 years ago. I had the surgery (day surgery w general anesthetic, same as you) on a Thursday and was back at work (in a research lab) on the Monday. On the interim days I didn't move other than to go from bed to the couch to the bathroom. I have a husband who did everything for me, which is what enabled me to do that. Do you have someone to fetch/carry for you, and to lean on for the first few days?
First day at work was a bit dodgy, bc I had an hour commute on the subway, but after that it was fine.
(caveat: apparently I have a high pain tolerance. And I had zero complications and apparently a wonderful surgeon -- my subsequent midwife admired the size of the scar while I was *giving birth*)
posted by gaspode at 5:46 PM on August 24, 2011
First day at work was a bit dodgy, bc I had an hour commute on the subway, but after that it was fine.
(caveat: apparently I have a high pain tolerance. And I had zero complications and apparently a wonderful surgeon -- my subsequent midwife admired the size of the scar while I was *giving birth*)
posted by gaspode at 5:46 PM on August 24, 2011
When I worked on a cardiac floor, we would give post op patients a nice firm chest pillow to use when they sat up and/or got out of bed. They held it to the chest and gave it a hug when sitting up, to minimize chest/abd pain. After my lap. surgery I gave it a try and found it helpful, both in reducing pain and giving me something to focus on. YMMV. : )
posted by MansRiot at 6:22 PM on August 24, 2011
posted by MansRiot at 6:22 PM on August 24, 2011
If you have a sensitive stomach, start taking Prilosec once or twice a day before you go into surgery, and keep taking it as part of your pain med regiment afterwards. That will protect your stomach from ulcers and irritations if you end up having to take a lot of NSAIDs.
I've never had surgery, but my friends have. The rule of thumb seems to be: "There's no virtue in suffering: Take the pain meds you've been given."
posted by thinkingwoman at 8:21 PM on August 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
I've never had surgery, but my friends have. The rule of thumb seems to be: "There's no virtue in suffering: Take the pain meds you've been given."
posted by thinkingwoman at 8:21 PM on August 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
At some point in the near future I'm getting my gallbladder removed - when Queensland Health gets around to it - so I've been reading around on this as it's my first surgery and I'm a little perturbed. It appears that fish oil supplements may be of some benefit in healing and reducing the pain of inflammation, but not the inflammation itself.
Vitamins A and C are also required for proper healing and repair of inflammation, but this doesn't mean that you're going to get better quicker by taking loads of A and C, of course.
Basically, everything I've seen indicates that the top three things are: rest, nutrition, and hydration. My plan is a marathon of Xbox gaming and HBO shows and a little bell so my girlfriend can fetch me things. This, combined with a strict regimen of complaining to everybody within earshot, and texting old flames to tell them I'm dying and it's their fault, will have me back on my feet in...ehhh, whenever!
posted by tumid dahlia at 8:45 PM on August 24, 2011
Vitamins A and C are also required for proper healing and repair of inflammation, but this doesn't mean that you're going to get better quicker by taking loads of A and C, of course.
Basically, everything I've seen indicates that the top three things are: rest, nutrition, and hydration. My plan is a marathon of Xbox gaming and HBO shows and a little bell so my girlfriend can fetch me things. This, combined with a strict regimen of complaining to everybody within earshot, and texting old flames to tell them I'm dying and it's their fault, will have me back on my feet in...ehhh, whenever!
posted by tumid dahlia at 8:45 PM on August 24, 2011
A wedge pillow helped me a lot in the first several days after abdominal surgery. It made it easier to get into and out of bed, and allowed me to sleep comfortably. Look for one with a substantial angle, like this one.
posted by wryly at 1:33 AM on August 25, 2011
posted by wryly at 1:33 AM on August 25, 2011
Veteran of many, many surgeries, but never laparoscopic. (The lap. part may be a bit immaterial--just a smaller incision and less recovery.) Here is what I do and I am known for recovering quickly. Mid-30s, good general health. Consult your doctor!
0) Good diet and exercise, multivitamin, etc., leading up to the surgery.
1) Afterwards, when they take the IV out and say "push fluids," really push. Drink as much water as you can stand. If you're overnight in the hospital and the nurses have to come in every 10 minutes to help you, keep in mind that that's why they're there.
2) As soon as you get the OK to move around the hospital/home (probably right away), do so as much as you reasonably can, but WITHOUT actually exerting yourself (see item 4). Avoids gas and gets the blood flowing.
3) Nthing chest and/or wedge pillow. You may also find an egg crate mattress pad helpful, depending on your mattress, even if you normally don't go for soft. See your local surgical supply or pharmacy. There's something about it...
4) While keeping (2) in mind, please do NOT move around by running errands, going back to work, etc., before you are really, really ready. If you overstrain yourself the net recovery will be longer. The anesthesia, etc., stays inside you and makes you feel better than you actually are for many days after surgery. When it wears off--and the adrenaline of "must get better NOW OH I'm doing FINE" wears off--then you'll feel like crud. Often this must be learned the hard way, but see if you can avoid the hard way.
Have a successful surgery and get well soon thereafter!
Here's hoping for the best!
posted by skbw at 5:37 AM on August 25, 2011
0) Good diet and exercise, multivitamin, etc., leading up to the surgery.
1) Afterwards, when they take the IV out and say "push fluids," really push. Drink as much water as you can stand. If you're overnight in the hospital and the nurses have to come in every 10 minutes to help you, keep in mind that that's why they're there.
2) As soon as you get the OK to move around the hospital/home (probably right away), do so as much as you reasonably can, but WITHOUT actually exerting yourself (see item 4). Avoids gas and gets the blood flowing.
3) Nthing chest and/or wedge pillow. You may also find an egg crate mattress pad helpful, depending on your mattress, even if you normally don't go for soft. See your local surgical supply or pharmacy. There's something about it...
4) While keeping (2) in mind, please do NOT move around by running errands, going back to work, etc., before you are really, really ready. If you overstrain yourself the net recovery will be longer. The anesthesia, etc., stays inside you and makes you feel better than you actually are for many days after surgery. When it wears off--and the adrenaline of "must get better NOW OH I'm doing FINE" wears off--then you'll feel like crud. Often this must be learned the hard way, but see if you can avoid the hard way.
Have a successful surgery and get well soon thereafter!
Here's hoping for the best!
posted by skbw at 5:37 AM on August 25, 2011
On the way home from the hospital, make sure to have a pillow or something to sit on to help ease any bumps on the road on the way home. I had laparoscopic surgery 9 months ago and was in the hospital for a couple days. I was exhausted for about a week, but stopped the painkillers after 4 days or so. Just let yourself sleep as much as you want. (and nthing "shoulder pain" - it's odd that it hurts there but it does) Good luck!
posted by getawaysticks at 7:40 AM on August 25, 2011
posted by getawaysticks at 7:40 AM on August 25, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by mogget at 4:43 PM on August 24, 2011