How to look after yourself recovering from surgery at home
Follow the specific instructions you were given about your wound, washing and activity, get moving as your doctor advised, know which warning signs mean you should get help, and keep track of your follow-up appointments.
Why is this harder than it sounds?
Recovery instructions are given on the day you're least able to take them in. At home, the questions start: can I shower yet, how much should I be doing, is this normal? The NHS notes that feeling very tired is common, that it's important to move around as soon as possible following your doctor's advice, and that your doctor will have given you an idea of how long recovery takes. Your own instructions always come first; general guidance only fills gaps.
What should you do?
Find your written instructions
Discharge letter, wound care sheet, exercise leaflet. If you didn't get them or they're unclear, ring the ward or your GP surgery.
Look after the wound as instructed
Follow the nurse's instructions for dressings. The NHS says not to get the wound under water, such as in a bath or swimming pool, until it has healed or your doctor says it's safe.
Move as advised
Do only as much as you feel able to, but try to move around and follow your doctor's advice on getting active again. Ask what exercises you should be doing.
Know the signs to act on
The NHS lists signs of a possible blood clot after an operation, such as pain or swelling in a leg, the skin feeling hot or discoloured, or veins near the surface looking larger, and says to seek medical help immediately if you notice them. Ask the ward what else to watch for after your particular operation.
Track your follow-ups
Stitches or clip removal, wound checks, outpatient appointments, physiotherapy. Put each in your diary.
Get back to routine gradually
The NHS suggests getting back to your regular routine as soon as you can, eating well and stopping smoking if you smoke.
What tends not to work
Following a friend's recovery timeline. Different operations, and different people, recover differently.
Pushing through severe or worsening pain without telling anyone.
Staying in bed "to be safe" when you've been told to get moving.
Common questions
When can I shower after surgery?
Follow what your doctor or nurse told you. The NHS says you can usually shower 48 hours after surgery unless you've been advised not to.
Is it normal to feel exhausted after an operation?
The NHS says not to be surprised if you feel very tired at home, especially after a major operation or a general anaesthetic. Tell your GP if anything worries you.
Where Nura fits
Tell Nura about the operation and the instructions you were given, or send a photo of the leaflet, and it keeps them in a recovery Care plan. It checks in on how you're doing and on each follow-up step, and keeps a record of how recovery is going for your next appointment. If you tell it things are getting worse, it encourages you to contact your clinician; for emergency signs it tells you to get help straight away.
Sources
General information, not medical advice. Nura does not diagnose, prescribe or replace your clinician. In an emergency call 999 (UK) or 911 (US); in the UK, NHS 111 can help if you need medical help but it isn't an emergency.