Hernia Surgery Care
Most patients go home on the day of or the day after surgery. Sutures are dissolving and buried, dressings stay on for 7 days. You may eat and drink normally, and walk around straight away. A follow-up appointment with Dr.Prashant Sharma is made for 1 week after surgery. You will need to wait a week before returning to driving. There will be lifting and exercise restrictions for a period of time after surgery that will vary according to the type of hernia repaired and technique used for repair. After surgery to repair your hernia you may have discomfort that may be slight with keyhole surgery or greater with large open operations. Our team will provide you with pain medication on discharge.
Care at Home
- Rest when you feel tired. Getting enough sleep will help you recover.
- Drink plenty of fluids to keep yourself hydrated.
- Try to walk each day. Start by walking a little more than you did the day before and increase the amount you walk gradually. Walking boosts blood flow and helps prevent pneumonia and constipation.
- If you are given an abdominal binder to wear, use it as directed. This is an elastic bandage that wraps around your belly and upper hips. It helps support your belly muscles after surgery.
- Avoid strenuous activities, such as biking, jogging, weight-lifting, or aerobic exercise, until advised by Dr. Prashant Sharma.
- Do not lift anything more than 5kg within 6 weeks post hernia repair.
- Wait at least 7 days before returning to driving.
- Most people are able to return to work within 1 to 2 weeks after surgery. However, if your employment requires heavy lifting or strenuous activity, you may need to take 4 to 6 weeks off from work.
- You may shower after surgery as you have waterproof dressings.
- It is common to experience irregular bowel movements after surgery. Avoid constipation and if you have not had a bowel movement after a couple of days, take a mild laxative prescribed by our team.
- Dr. Prashant will tell you if and when you can restart your usual medicines including any blood thinners. He will also give you instructions about taking any new medicines including antibiotics and painkillers.
- If you have dressings on the incision, leave them until you see Dr. Prashant at the follow up appointment.
- Do breathing exercises at home as instructed. This will help prevent pneumonia.
- If you had laparoscopic surgery, you may also have pain in your left shoulder. The pain usually lasts about a day or two.
Call if you have these symptoms
- Persistent fever over 101° f
- Increasing swelling at the incision
- Pain that is not relieved by your medications
Persistent nausea or vomiting - Purulent drainage (pus) from any incision
- Redness surrounding any of your incisions that are worsening or getting bigger
- Inability to eat or drink liquids
- Chills