After Your Hospital Surgery, In-Office Surgery, or daVinci Surgery

After your surgery, it is normal to experience some or all of these symptoms:

  1. Some bloating, especially after abdominal or laparoscopic surgery.
  2. Fatigue.
  3. Some mild depression about one week after surgery. This usually lasts 3 - 4 days.
  4. Vaginal discharge which may last 4 - 6 weeks and may be either red or light pink to dark brown or tan, back to light pink, etc.
  5. Variability in energy level - great one day, then weak and sore the next.
  6. Little appetite the first few days you are home.
  7. You may have some achy to sharp incisional pains that come and go.

You will be able to:

  1. Climb stairs with moderation, if you go slowly.
  2. You can drive when you are comfortable. Drive around the block first and try to move your foot quickly from gas to brake. If you are not able to do that without pain, then you should not drive yet. Once you are able to do this, use your judgment on the amount of driving you do.
  3. Ride with care. If going for a long drive, stop and walk every hour.
  4. Take long walks at home. Take someone with you the first time out.
  5. Make meals, do dishes, fold clothes - anything that does not involve a lifting, stretching, pushing or pulling motion.

You should NOT:

  1. Insert anything into the vagina while healing is taking place, unless estrogen cream is prescribed.
  2. Perform any exercises that involve jumping or aerobics until you have your doctor's permission.

When you get home:

  1. Please take your temperature twice a day for the first three days you are home.
  2. If you become constipated, you may use Peri-Colace two times a day until you have your first bowel movement. Make sure you have enough bulk in your diet and it may be appropriate to add Metamucil or other fiber to your diet. Make sure you drink at least 3 glasses of water a day.

You should call if you experience:

  1. A fever greater than 100.4 degrees.
  2. The inability to urinate or burning with urination.
  3. Foul vaginal or incisional odor with fever and/or pain.
  4. Redness or swelling near your incisional site.
  5. Heavy bleeding or clotting requiring changing your pad more than every two hours.

Please call the office soon to schedule your post-op appointment, as recommended by your doctor, if you have not done so already.