Successful Surgery Recovery Process
In the minds of many people, the operating room is the hospital’s center and reason for being. And in fact, about half of a hospital’s annual population are surgery patients.
Although procedures differ slightly for different kinds of surgery [1], the basic pattern remains the same for almost everyone. You are expected to enter the hospital some time before the operation is scheduled, so that your diet can be controlled and your physical condition monitored.
You will be given a chest X ray and an electrocardiogram; lung congestion or heart problem may indicate the need for a special anesthetic. You will also undergo any other lab tests your doctor has ordered.
On the night before surgery, the anesthesiologist assigned to your operation will probably visit you. He will discuss the kind of anesthetic he plans to use, and ask you about previous operations you have had, and your reaction to anesthetics.
If you have any special problems—allergies of any kind, or diabetes, epilepsy, high blood pressure—tell him. He should already know, of course, because this information will be in your records. But remind him, nevertheless.
You may also be visited by your doctor, if he is going to do the surgery, or by the surgeon you have selected.
Except for sleeping medication, you will be given nothing to eat or drink after midnight to ensure that your digestion doesn’t interfere with the anesthesia.
The area of surgery may also be shaved, for hygienic reasons.
Early on the morning of the operation, you will be given an injection which has a double purpose: to reduce the amount of saliva produced in your mouth, making the administration of anesthetic safer; and to relax you.
Some 15 minutes before surgery is to begin, you will be moved from your bed to a “trolley,”—a narrow bed-on-wheels—and taken to an area next to the operating room, while everything is made ready for you.
At this point, you may discover that despite the injection, you are completely aware of everything that is going on; not everyone reacts in the same way to the preoperative shot. If you are still awake, have a good look at the operating room as they wheel you in.
You will see a white table under a battery of ceiling lights, and several green-gowned and masked figures, who will address you casually by your first name. You won’t have time to answer. You may not even realize that the anesthesiologist has connected your arm to an intravenous solution (a soporific [2], and a muscle relaxant). And now, you are definitely and completely “out”
SURGERY ANESTHETICS
Basically, there are two types of surgery anesthetics: general and regional, or local.
A general anesthetic is the kind that puts you completely to sleep; gas is administered through a face mask or a throat tube, or for shorter operations the anesthetic is given as an intravenous injection. A common type of regional anesthetic is the spinal, in which the anesthetic is injected between the vertebrae into the space surrounding the spinal cord, producing loss of sensation throughout the lower part of the body.
Spinals are often used for operations such as appendicitis and hernia.
The procedure does not hurt, because the injection area is deadened with another type of regional anesthetic, the local anesthetic. This is a solution, such as that used in dentists’ offices, which is injected under the skin or mucous membrane to desensitize the operation site only.
It is used when the operating area is small and near the skin surface, and the operation itself can be finished quickly.
SURGERY RECOVERY ROOM
If you have been given a general anesthetic, you will wake up, very gradually, in a strange dim area called the “recovery room.” You will have a blood pressure cuff on one arm, which you can move; an intravenous tube (containing a solution that is replacing lost fluids) in your other arm—which you cannot move.
You may also be vaguely aware of a mask on your nose or a set of prongs in your nostrils. These supply you with oxygen, and are routinely used as an adjunct to your surgery recovery.
A nurse will probably be checking your pulse and blood pressure. She will tell you that your operation is over, ask how you feel and if you hurt anywhere. If you do, she may give you painkilling medication.
She will continue to observe your condition, reading your vital signs (pulse, pressure, respiration) every 15 minutes or so, until you show full awareness of your surroundings, and your vital signs are stable.
Length of time in recovery rooms varies according to operation and patient—perhaps two to two-and-a-half hours after abdominal surgery, much less for less serious operations.
Every surgical patient, except those who have had only local anesthesia, spends some time here. when you have fully emerged from the effects of the anesthesia, and the nausea that often accompanies it, you will be wheeled back to your room for more sleep.
SURGERY RECOVERY BEGINS
Your surgery recovery is just beginning. Despite your need for sleep and your feelings of weakness and lethargy, as early as the evening after your surgery you may be asked to sit on the edge of your bed for a few minutes, or take a few steps with the help of a nurse.
This kind of movement increases your blood circulation, preventing formation of blood clots. You will also be required to cough and take deep breaths to clear your lungs completely of the anesthetic, and to prevent postoperative complications such as pneumonia.
Cough and breathe deeply, even if you are sure you will split your stitches. You won’t.
Postoperative convalescence is always tedious and sometimes painful. If you have pain, it is important that you tell your nurse or doctor. You can be given sedative, although the amount will depend on your condition.
With some operations, too much sedation obstructs the healing process, so do not expect to be drugged out of all pain as a matter of routine. On the other hand, you are not required to put up with prolonged severe pain; that obstructs the healing process, too
SPECIAL SURGERY RECOVERY PERSONNEL
For breathing problems, you will see a respiratory therapist. She will have you breathe into a lung-capacity machine [3] to determine the volume of air your lungs can old; check your general lung condition; and recommend inhalation therapy if she thinks you need it.
If your muscles need rebuilding after surgery, you will meet the physical therapist, who can teach you how to walk again after an accident, restore muscle that may have atrophied, and help to rebuild injured body tissues.
REFERENCES
[1] Cost-Effectiveness in Global Surgery: Pearls, Pitfalls, and a Checklist by Mark G Shrime, Blake C Alkire, Caris Grimes et al
[2] Soporific effect of Modified Suanzaoren Decoction on Mice Models of Insomnia by Regulating Orexin-A and HPA Axis Homeostasis by Ying-Jie Dong, Ning-Hua Jiang, Liang-Hui Zhan et al
[3] Measurement of Lung Volumes by Theodore G Liou and Richard E Kanner
Rich Health Editorial Team
Rich Health Editorial Team is made up of medical practitioners and experienced writers who provide information for dealing with health issues in a simple and easy-to-understand manner
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