This is usually between 2 – 6 hours after your procedure or surgery. Please make sure you have a responsible adult to take you home and stay with you for 24 hours. If this is not possible, please talk with your nurse.
It's best to have someone with you for at least the first 24 hours after general anesthesia. You may continue to be sleepy, and your judgment and reflexes may take time to return to normal. If you are taking opioids for pain, you won't be able to drive until you stop taking them.
Plan for your days after surgery
It's a good idea to have an adult available to help you for at least 24 hours after having a general anaesthetic or an epidural.
You will need someone to help you for several days to several weeks. The AAOS reports that most people will be able to resume most light activities of daily living independently within 3 to 6 weeks.
It would be most helpful to have someone living with or near you for the first 3-5 days. This is very important for your safety and health that you have around-the-clock care. If you have pets, especially dogs, consider boarding them for a few days.
Orthopedics. Most patients, even if they live alone, can safely go directly home from the hospital after hip or knee replacement surgery, according to a recent study.
Aim to walk every 1 or 2 hours during the day. Work with your care team to set goals for walking.
It is quite common to feel fatigued after surgery, regardless of whether it was a minor or major procedure. This is because your body expends a lot of energy afterward trying to heal. There is an immune response that kicks in, which can be physically draining as well.
Caring for someone after surgery
Help with bathing – Assist the person to shower, if they need help. Exercise together – Do some gentle exercise together, such as walking. Be thoughtful – Listen to their concerns and feelings if they want to talk, but respect their confidentiality and privacy.
They want to make sure you're safe while the meds you took to prevent pain during the operation wear off. "Anesthesia lasts about 24 hours," Kothari says. "It's important to have someone with you and watch you." That person can also take notes on what you need to do when you get home.
Long format surgery may take 6-12 hours, is it safe to be “under” for this long? Sometimes it is recommended to undertake several plastic surgery procedures during one session. This is known as a long format surgery, which may take anywhere from 6-12 hours in duration.
You should feel pretty good the morning following your surgery. Most women, though not “back to normal” report some fatigue but generally are not experiencing any significant pain or soreness.
How long do I stay in the recovery room? You may stay in the the recovery room for several hours or overnight, depending on the care you need. The time that you need to stay depends on your health and how you recover from the anesthetic. When your condition is stable, you will be taken to the nursing unit.
You should only do as much as you feel able to in the days after your operation. But it's important to try to move around as soon as possible and follow your doctor's advice on getting active again. This will encourage your blood to flow and your wounds to heal, and will build up strength in your muscles.
Mornings are Best
In fact, researchers conducting a 2006 Duke University study found that surgeries scheduled between 3 and 4 p.m. had a higher rate of post-op vomiting, nausea, and pain.
Although doctors often say that you'll be asleep during surgery, research has shown that going under anesthesia is nothing like sleep. “Even in the deepest stages of sleep, with prodding and poking we can wake you up,” says Brown.
Fatigue is your body's way of telling you that you need to rest. Fatigue is normal following surgery and it should improve day after day as your body begins to heal itself. In general, it takes one week per day in the hospital to feel back to normal.
Tiredness, exhaustion, or severe and prolonged fatigue are common after surgery – even minor surgery. This is, in part, due to the effects of anesthesia, which often wear off more slowly in older people.
I recommend waiting two weeks before any type of strenuous activity such as house cleaning. Waiting this period of time helps to reduce the chances of post-operative bleeding and swelling. You need to give your body a chance to settle in and heal.
The longest average recovery period we found was that of a total knee replacement, which can take from three months to one full year. This is typical with many knee injuries. An ACL injury, for example, can take six months or more to recover from.
You should be able to wash normally after your stitches, dressings and clips have been removed. It's usually better to have a shower until the wound has healed to avoid soaking it completely. Afterwards, pat your wound and the area around it dry.
You can expect to experience some discomfort in the hip region itself, as well as groin pain and thigh pain. This is normal as your body adjusts to changes made to joints in that area. There can also be pain in the thigh and knee that is typically associated with a change in the length of your leg.
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons recommends a waiting period of 4–8 weeks post-surgery before recommencing driving in an automatic car.