It is normal that surgical pain is worse in the second week following surgery. During surgery patients can undergo varying degrees of nerve manipulation to free trapped nerves. By the two week mark the pain blockers used during the operation begin to wear off and the nerves begin to “waken”. It is possible to experience similar pain to that of pre-operation.
Consult your General Practitioner regarding pain medication for your individual circumstance.
You can apply cold or hot packs after exercising or if the area is painful or appears to be swollen.
You will need to visit your General Practitioner two weeks following surgery to remove the dressing and to check that the wound is clean and has healed.
The sutures are under the skin and do not need to be removed.
You will be able to travel as a passenger in a car following surgery however journeys of longer than an hour will need to be broken so that you are able to get out of the car and walk around.
You will also be able to fly home following surgery but you will require a “Travel Clearance Form” to be provided by ward staff prior to hospital discharge, please notify ward staff as soon as possible to arrange this.
We recommend that you do not drive for four weeks following surgery.
On discharge from hospital you should be able to take care of yourself when it comes to showering and minor light house activities that don’t involve exertion. You will need some additional help with any heavy lifting duties such as grocery shopping and bending activities such as vacuuming.
You will see a physiotherapist on the ward prior to discharge. The physiotherapist will give you a number of specific exercises for you to do during your rehabilitation period to assist your recovery. Activity should recommence gradually. In the first two weeks, activity should be confined largely to the home and involve only personal hygiene and minor tasks involving no exertion.
From two weeks (the time of wound dressing removal) to four weeks a gentle exercise program may be instituted. This will include activities such as gentle walks around the neighbourhood, swimming or use of an exercise bike.
A post-operative appointment will be made for you. Following surgery we recommend a post-operative period of six to eight weeks at which point you will be reviewed by Dr Williams. If you have light office employment, it is possible to return to work within a month if your personal circumstances dictate your return. However if you have manual labour employment we recommend you complete the six to eight weeks post-operative period.
A medical certificate cannot be issued until after the day of surgery however the staff at Brispine is able to provide your employer with a letter stating your scheduled surgery date and the post-operative care period involved.
