Swelling Timeline Like bruising, the swelling will be its worst for the initial days following surgery. It will begin to subside after a week, and by the second week after surgery, you should see about a 75% reduction.
Generally, your swelling will peak in the first days or weeks after surgery and then gradually go down over time. Your swelling may not completely go down until months after your procedure, but you should recognize slight improvements every day.
The inflammatory phase begins immediately following your surgical procedure and is characterized by swelling, redness, and pain. This stage can last from a few days up to six weeks, and it is during this time that your body is doing all it can to protect the affected area.
As the body begins healing itself, thousands of cells are sent to the affected body part. This is part of the first stage of healing called the inflammatory phase. The influx of all of these cells to the area causes more swelling.
First and foremost, drink plenty of water! Water serves a lot of functions in the body and will be particularly good to reduce swelling after surgery.
This helps to reduce swelling, improve circulation, and minimize the risk of postoperative complications, such as blood clots. Simply walking around the room or to and from the bathroom several times a day is usually sufficient for the first several days after surgery.
Tell your doctor if you have swelling following surgery and: Swelling increases suddenly. There is noticeable discharge. You have issues with incisions like redness or increased pain.
The doctor may recommend taking 800 mg of Ibuprofen three times a day for 3 to 5 days to reduce swelling and relieve mild to moderate discomfort.
If your swelling is chronic, or lasts longer than 2-3 weeks, you should see your doctor. Your doctor will be able to recommend medication, exercise or therapy to resolve the swelling. Remember, swelling is the body's reaction to an injury; if the swelling is still present, so is the injury.
While most people become alarmed when the body shows signs of swelling, it's important to remember that this is a natural part of the healing process. When swelling occurs, the body requests reinforcements to speed up recovery.
Other factors can impact swelling time, too. For example, if there is an obstruction in your lymph system, your body may not be able to drain out the waste produced during the inflammation process. Thus, your post-injury swelling may last longer than it would otherwise.
The inflammatory process is most active in the first 24 hours after a surgery, persisting for up to 2 weeks. We recommend that you continue the aforementioned icing routine for the first 2 weeks after your surgery. This is a very effective way to maximize your healing environment.
Swelling and Bruising.
Tissue injury, whether accidental or intentional (e.g. surgery), is followed by localized swelling. After surgery, swelling increases progressively, reaching its peak by the third day. It is generally worse when you first arise in the morning and decreases throughout the day.
As with any diet, fruits and vegetables are recommended, especially dark leafy greens. Other good foods include red onions, broccoli, pineapples and apples, and capers to decrease swelling faster. These provide your body with essential vitamins to help you heal and fight infection.
Icing your surgical site intermittently (off and on) helps to control pain and swelling while minimizing risks of icing too much. Keeping ice on longer than the recommended amounts of time or putting ice directly may cause other problems, such as frostbite or skin damage, which won't help your body heal from surgery.
Patients are often instructed not to take ibuprofen and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) before or after surgery because of increased bleeding risk.
Why is post-surgical pain worse at night? Among the possible reasons are: Your sleep position8. Disruption of your sleep-wake cycle due to your procedure or medications you are taking9.
This swelling typically occurs as a result of a leak from small blood vessels, which leads to a buildup of fluid in the soft tissues in your body. Because swelling after surgery is relatively common, you should talk to your doctor about edema and lymphedema treatment and management post-surgery.
When to Seek Care for Swelling. You should seek emergency care if you have sudden, unexplained swelling in just one limb or if it occurs along with chest pain, trouble breathing, coughing up blood, fever, or skin that is red and warm to the touch.
Common signs of a surgical infection include fever, pain, swelling, and a pus-like discharge. Depending on the type of surgery you had, the infection may not only affect the skin where the incision was made, but your muscles and internal organs.
RICE – Rest, ice, compression, and elevation – are common ways to reduce swelling. Gentle exercise is good as our muscles act as a biological pump to push fluid out of the affected area. Massage helps the lymphatic system drain swelling from the affected area.
Yes, it is possible to elevate an injury too much. Elevation is a technique commonly used to treat many musculoskeletal injuries ranging from foot fractures to tendinitis in your knees. Elevating injuries in your legs or arms can encourage blood flow to inflamed tissue and reduce swelling.