Many people are nervous when they have to go in for surgery. This is an understandable reaction considering that there really isn’t any such thing as a minor surgery.
When your surgery is over, you move into the post-operative period. During this time, there are certain things that you can expect. Some of these occurrences are perfectly normal and don’t cause any issues beyond some minor discomfort that is to be expected.
During the immediate post-operative period, you can expect to feel a bit out of sorts. This is especially true if you had to be given general anesthesia. You might also feel nauseous because of the effects of those medications.
You might also have a sore throat and feel thirsty. The sore throat, which might be like an achy feeling, is usually present if you had to have a breathing tube while you were under anesthesia. The thirst is likely a combination of the breathing tube and the effects of the medications.
There are some considerable risks that come during the post-operative period. One of these is the risk of infection. While it is common to have some discomfort, swelling and redness at the incision site, you should notice that those decrease in a few days. If they worsen or if the area starts to feel hot to the touch, you should alert the medical team.
Other complications include bleeding, shock and deep vein thrombosis. All of these can be fatal if they aren’t treated swiftly and appropriately. These are all some of the reasons why you will be monitored closely during the post-operative period.
If you suffer from serious complications after the surgery and your medical care team isn’t taking proper care of you, there is a chance that you will suffer from lasting effects. You might opt to seek compensation in connection with the damages due to improper care.
Source: Stanford Health Care, “Postoperative Discomforts,” accessed May 26, 2017
