Postop care

Nurse : Good morning Mr. Thomas. How are you feeling today ?

Patient : Just dizzy and a bit painful.

Nurse : You need not worry. The surgery went all right as expected, all the more that the surgeon performed a laparoscopy.

Patient : Sorry ?

Nurse : The doctor must have told you. It’s a less invasive technique, you know. The surgeon uses a laparoscope, which is a thin telescope attached to a video camera that allows him to operate through a small puncture wound instead of a larger incision.

Patient : Oh yes, now I remember.

Nurse : Right, now I’ll just give you some water to drink and see how you tolerate it.

Patient : And when will I be out ?

Nurse : Very soon. But first, we will start giving you some solid food, check your temperature regularly every two hours and watch over you so that you won’t be painful.

Patient : And then ?

Nurse : Once you eat and drink normally, and your vital signs stabilize, I’ll remove your intravenous line and drain and you can get out of bed probably by the end of today. You’ll be given some painkillers mean-while and you’ll be discharged.

Patient : I mean, when do you think I will be out then ?

Nurse : Oh, probably tomorrow. But meanwhile we’ll keep monitoring you for signs of infection and check that the incision is healing properly.

Patient : And when I get home, do I need any special care ?

Nurse : Yes. That is you, or a nurse, must check the incision site to make sure it’s dry and completely closed. If you prefer to have postop care by a nurse, we can arrange for that, or you may prefer to call up a private practice nurse to do some postop care for you, you know to clean the wound and change the dressing. Anyway, if you notice that the incision drains blood or pus, or if it is not completely closed, or else that you have any fever or increasing pain at the incision site, call us immediately or notify your family doctor.

Patient : And how long does it take to fully recover ?

Nurse : You can take back your normal activities within a few days, but full recovery takes four to six weeks.

Patient : And I suppose that meanwhile I cannot do any physcial activity !

Nurse : Well, it’s just that you should only avoid heavy lifting and strenous activity during recovery. The doctor has advised you to take antibiotics and painkillers in case of increasing pain or infection, hasn’t he ?

Patient : Yes, he has.

Nurse : Therefore you should take them as directed and all will be fine.

Patient : And how should I care for the incision while I’m still at the hospital ?

Nurse : I’ll come over every now and then to check if there’s any pus, and then change the gauze dressing if needed. And you’ll be out soon. All right ?

Patient : Yes, I suppose so !