After Reconstructive Surgery

After your reconstructive surgery, your doctor or medical staff will give you specific instructions to aid your recovery. Make sure you ask your doctor any questions you may have about the recovery process, including when you can return to your normal daily activities. Follow your doctor’s instructions carefully and call your doctor’s office if you have questions or experience severe pain or abnormal side effects.

After Reconstructive Surgery

Your doctor will apply bandages, compression garments or other dressings to your incisions to reduce swelling and aid your recovery. You will receive instructions for how to care for the incisions and how and when to wear compression garments and other dressings. Your doctor will likely remove your bandages during a follow-up visit or will instruct you how to safely remove them yourself at home.

Right after your reconstructive surgery, you may experience bruising, swelling or redness at the surgical site. Although some pain and discomfort right after your procedure is normal, if you experience severe pain or other abnormal side effects over the next several weeks, you should call your doctor’s office to discuss them.

Immediately following your reconstructive surgery, you will most likely feel a little dizzy from the anesthesia. This will especially be the case if your surgery requires general anesthesia.

It is not safe to drive right after surgery, as the anesthesia may affect your ability to focus. If you are able to return home the same day as your reconstructive surgery, it’s best to bring along a friend or family member to drive you home. In some cases, the medical facility will require you to bring a driver so you do not have to drive yourself home after your surgery.

If your surgery requires a hospital stay, it may still be a good idea to have a friend or family member drive you home after your hospital stay. Some procedures may require that you not drive for a certain period of time. In addition, if you are taking prescription pain medication, it may not be safe for you to drive.

After you wake from your surgery, the medical staff will give you instructions, such as to move, eat or drink. You must follow these instructions carefully, even though you may not feel well enough.

Follow Your Reconstructive Surgery Doctor’s Instructions

Before you leave the facility, you will receive instructions for your recovery, such as:

Which over-the-counter pain medications you can take
How to care for your incisions and bandages
Whether or not you must follow a special diet during your recovery
When you should start physical therapy, if required for your procedure
When you can return to work
When you can resume your normal daily activities and exercise

Take this opportunity after your reconstructive surgery to ask your doctor any questions you have about your recovery. Make sure you understand the instructions you receive, and share with your doctor any concerns you may have.

What Should I Ask My Reconstructive Surgery Doctor?

Before you leave your plastic surgeon’s office, you should ask your doctor or his or her staff about what to expect over the next few weeks.

You should ask questions to ensure you understand:

How to care for your incisions
How and when to change or take off your bandages
How long you will need to refrain from engaging in strenuous activities
When you can return to work and to your normal routine
What over-the-counter medications you can take for pain
What pain and discomfort is normal
What side effects and complications you should watch out for

What To Expect After Your Reconstructive Surgery

It’s normal to experience some pain and discomfort after your reconstructive surgery procedure. Your doctor can let you know which over-the-counter medications you can take to manage your pain. In some cases, your doctor may prescribe a stronger pain medication.

Sometime after your surgery, your reconstructive surgeon will schedule a follow-up visit so he or she can monitor your progress and ensure your body is healing well. Some procedures may require additional surgeries or procedures to complete the reconstruction.

Recovery From Reconstructive Surgery

Although some reconstructive surgery procedures require only a short recovery time and allow you to return to work and other activities quickly, other procedures may require longer and more extensive recovery periods. In some cases, additional procedures or therapies may be required. For example, hip or knee replacement requires physical therapy to gain range of motion and learn to use the new joint. Jaw reconstructive surgery may involve orthodontics (braces) before and after surgery.

Having a strong support system at home can aid your recovery. If your reconstructive surgery procedure affects your mobility, this may be especially important. Enlisting the support of close friends or family members can help ensure you have a successful recovery.

You may need help getting around and performing normal household activities for the first few days after surgery, so it will be beneficial to have a friend or family member stay with you during this time, especially if you have young children to care for.

Risks and Complications of Reconstructive Surgery

As with any surgery, reconstructive surgery is not risk free. Some risks that come with any surgery include:

Risks of anesthesia, including allergic reactions
Bleeding
Infection

Other complications may occur with specific procedures. For example, in a procedure that involves grafting tissues from another part of the body, there is a risk of necrosis, or the death of the transplanted tissue. This may require another operation to correct. You should discuss with your doctor the risks and complications that apply to your procedure. Although risks and complications exist, modern reconstructive surgery techniques are safe and effective, and severe complications are not common. However, you should learn how to recognize unusual side effects and complications.

Tips To Follow After Reconstructive Surgery

Follow these tips for a successful recovery after reconstructive surgery:

Have someone drive you home after your surgery
Arrange to have a friend or family member stay with you for the first few days after your surgery to help you get around and to run errands for you if you aren’t able to drive; this may be especially important if you have young children to care for
Keep in mind that your recovery time will affect your work and your social life, as well as the schedules of everyone in your household
Prepare some activities you can engage in during your recovery, such as puzzles, books to read, movies, board games or video games
Have your surgeon's phone number at hand in case you need to ask a question
Have a timer or written schedule of when you have to take your medications
Make sure that you have everything that you may need for post-surgery care such as clean towels, ice packets, comfortable clothes, bandages or special garments
Ask your surgeon if you will need a special diet after reconstructive surgery and if there are any foods that are recommended during the first days after surgery
Ask your reconstructive surgery doctor when you will be able to drive and return to work
Avoid extreme heat or cold or a lot of direct sunlight after reconstructive surgery
Avoid any type of strenuous physical activity and exercise until your surgeon or physical therapist says it is safe to engage in these activities

Traveling After Reconstructive Surgery

Traveling can put a lot of stress on the body, especially after reconstructive surgery. Please do not schedule any travel right after reconstructive surgery. Your surgeon may restrict you from airplane traveling for at least 10 days. Airplane travel may increase the risk of blood clots after reconstructive surgery.

If your body is not yet healed, you may experience pain and discomfort while traveling. Please keep in mind that it may take several months for swelling to be completely healed. Additionally, in some cases your surgeon may recommend that you stay out of the sun for some time after reconstructive surgery.

Additional Therapies After Reconstructive Surgery

Your surgeon may recommend additional treatments or therapies after your reconstructive surgery. The goals of these additional treatments include helping you recover faster, complementing your surgery and diminishing scarring, swelling or pain. If you undergo reconstructive surgery on a joint, such as a knee or hip, a physical therapy regimen will be required to restore strength and range of motion.

Ask your surgeon if he or she recommends any additional treatments or therapies after reconstructive surgery for your particular case.

Emergency After Reconstructive Surgery

Although serious complications resulting from reconstructive surgery are not common, it’s important to remember that any surgery involves risk. You should discuss possible side effects and complications with your doctor. If you experience symptoms after surgery that do not seem normal, contact your doctor immediately. If you have a medical emergency, call 911 right away.

Questions about what to expect after reconstructive surgery:

How long will I have to stay in recovery after my reconstructive surgery?
How will I feel after reconstructive surgery?
How much pain is there after reconstructive surgery?
How long can I expect to fully recover from my reconstructive surgery?

Questions to ask about your return home after reconstructive surgery:

Am I required to have someone drive me home after reconstructive surgery?
What kind of care will I need at home?
Should I have someone help me after my reconstructive surgery? And if so, for how long?
Are there any activity limitations after my reconstructive surgery and for how long?
What kind of diet should I keep after my reconstructive surgery?
What symptoms should I watch out for and report after my reconstructive surgery?
When should I contact my gastric bypass surgeon?
What medications do I need to take after my reconstructive surgery?
Is there anything that I should refrain from after my reconstructive surgery (for example, heat or sun)?
Do I need bed rest after my reconstructive surgery and for how long?
How long before I can go back to work after my reconstructive surgery?
Do I need to wear bandages or special garments? And if so, for how long after my reconstructive surgery?
How soon can I resume my normal activities after my reconstructive surgery?