Yes! Constipation is a terrible and uncomfortable feeling, especially when you are recovering from hernia surgery and have such little control over your bowels. However, sitting on the toilet can help trigger muscles in your body that says it is time for a bowel movement. Be patient though.
Avoid lifting anything that would make you strain. This may include heavy grocery bags and milk containers, a heavy briefcase or backpack, cat litter or dog food bags, a vacuum cleaner, or a child. Ask your doctor when you can drive again. Most people are able to return to work within 1 to 2 weeks after surgery.
At first you may need to rest in bed with your upper body raised on pillows. This helps you breathe easier and may help lessen post-surgery hernia pain. Cold and Heat: Both cold and heat can help lessen some types of post-op pain.
Sitting: for several days after surgery sitting may be uncomfortable. You may have to get up and move around and change positions periodically. Stairs: no limitations. Lifting: for the first week lifting is limited to 20 pounds.
Most people return to a sedentary job within a week and a half and are cleared for full activities after four to six weeks (i.e. contact sports, police officers, firemen, etc.). Avoid lifting more than 10 pounds for four weeks and excessive bending or twisting for one to two weeks following surgery.
Thus, one advice that I always give to my patients is, “You do not need absolute bed rest”. Of course, they should not be doing any strenuous exercise, but all patients after a hernia operation, be it laparoscopic hernia surgery or open, should be encouraged to get out of bed as much as possible and move around.
You may notice that your bowel movements are not regular right after your surgery. This is common. Avoid constipation and straining with bowel movements. You may want to take a fibre supplement every day.
Try to avoid vigorous coughing if your repair was done with the open method. Coughing may strain your incision. For a couple of weeks, when you need to cough or sneeze, splint your incision. This means putting pressure over your incision with your hands, a rolled up blanket, or a pillow.
Don't move quickly or lift anything heavy until you are feeling better. Be active. Walking is a good choice. You most likely can return to light activity after 1 to 3 weeks, depending on the type of surgery you had.
As for activity, walking is good exercise after hernia surgery and aids in healing. Climbing stairs is permitted in most cases if you feel competent to do so.
Getting out of bed
Roll onto your side. Dangle your feet over the edge of your bed. Use your elbows to raise your upper body. Use your legs to pull yourself into a sitting position.
Bowel Movements
Over the counter (OTC) stool softeners may be taken if needed. Please monitor your bowels closely after surgery especially if you are taking prescribed narcotics. You should be passing gas and have a bowel movement within a few days after surgery and resume your normal bowel routine.
You should also aim to eat 20 to 35 grams of fiber per day. DON'T worry about mild swelling, bruising, or a hard feeling under your incisions. It's normal for hardness under the wound to stick around for up to 6 months. DON'T lift more than 10 to 20 pounds for 4 to 6 weeks after surgery.
VOIDING / URINATING
Occasionally, after surgery, your bladder may become too full with urine, and urinary retention can develop. This may manifest as either: 1) inability to void, 2) frequent voiding, or 3) frequent voiding of small amounts of urine.
The pain, swelling, and bruising of the hernia repair site can cause fatigue, lower pain tolerance, and increase pain levels, all which can develop into a cycle that interferes with the body's ability to recover quickly. Do not rush to resume normal activities in the first few weeks after umbilical hernia surgery.
You may resume your normal diet when you are ready. Activity: You will be able to stand, walk, and climb stairs with some mild discomfort starting the same evening of surgery. You may shower the first day after surgery, but no bathing or swimming for 5 days.
Other complications for both types of hernia repairs include: Difficulty urinating: Urinary retention occurs most frequently in older men and is the result of stimulation of nerves to the bladder during the operation. This is usually transient, lasting a few days, but occasionally it requires a catheter.
It is OK to shower starting around 36 hours after surgery. If you have gauze on the incisions, take it off before showering. You might see little pieces of tape (called steri-strips) directly attached to your skin. It is OK to get these little tapes wet in the shower.
People who have a mesh plug used to repair their hernias often feel the mesh plug. While it's not always painful, some chronic pain issues are likely due to the shape and location of the mesh plug.
Patients have reported pain in the stomach, abdomen, groin, leg and testicles. Hernia mesh pain symptoms include a burning sensation at the surgery site, inflammation or swelling, and tingling. Editors carefully fact-check all Drugwatch content for accuracy and quality.
In these cases, and some others, when conservative treatment options have been exhausted, mesh removal may be indicated. However, the removal of mesh is a complex an intricate procedure that carries additional risk. Mesh removal will usually require the rebuilding of the abdominal wall.