- Plan on having a friend or family member drive you home from the surgery center. Make sure you have the afternoon and evening free of social and work obligations.
- Pain medication injected into the site of surgery will wear off approximately 12 hours following the surgery. Plan on getting your pain prescription filled in order to have with you when you arrive home.
- Most patients will require pain medication beginning the evening after the surgery.
- Use ice at the site of surgery to help decrease swelling and discomfort.
- Patient with lower extremity surgery will be given a prescription for aspirin for 14 days following the surgery to help reduce the risk of blood clots.
- Take your pain medication as directed
- Begin to ween yourself off of the pain medication as soon as possible.
- Do NOT drive or operate any machinery while taking medications.
- When taking vicodin or Percocet, do not take any additional Tylenol or other Acetaminophen containing products.
- Patients may experience side effects from their pain medication including nausea, drowsiness, and constipation. Patients may be prescribed Colace to help with constipation and/or Vistaril to help with nausea.
- For any additional questions, please contact Sheryl Hassett at 781-251-3535 or .
- Maintain your post-operative bandages for 48 hours following the surgery in order to protect the incision site.
- Some bleeding and/or swelling during this time is normal. Apply additional dressings to the incision site if needed after 24 hours. If bandages become too tight due to swelling, simply loosen the bandage to decrease discomfort.
- Begin icing immediately after surgery and use the ice machine every 2 hours to help decrease swelling and inflammation.
- Patients with lower extremity surgery patients can wear TEDS stockings (compression stockings) on both legs until their first post-operative visit.
- Steri strips should be kept on the incision site until your first post-op appointment.
- In order to decrease risk of infection, keep the incision site clean and dry. Patients may shower after 48 hours but should try to keep the incisions dry if possible. Patients may remove their brace in the shower.
- Incision sites should not be immersed in water (such as a pool, lake, or bath tub) until after your first post-op visit.
- For any additional questions, please contact Sheryl Hassett at 781-251-3535 or .
- Refer to the rehabilitation protocol on our website specific to your surgery found here.
- Patients with lower extremity surgery should elevate the leg to chest height to help reduce swelling.
- Refer to your surgery protocol to determine your weight-bearing status.
- Do not participate in any activities or movements that increase pain or discomfort until you review with Dr. Gill at your first post-op visit.
- For any additional questions, please contact Sheryl Hassett at 781-251-3535 or .