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POST-SURGERY CARE AND RECOVERY

Rest Up and Recover Well

Understanding how to properly care for your incision—and yourself—after surgery can help prevent infection so you can recover faster. And since, almost one-third of surgery patients develop an infection during recovery,1 it’s important to know the signs.

Recuperating After Surgery: Your Need-to-Know Info

Illustration of a crate filled with various fruits and vegetables, emphasizing the importance of eating well and regularly as part of post-surgery recovery.

Eat Well & Regularly

Your body’s working hard to repair itself, and it needs nourishment to do that.

Illustration of a pillow with 'zzz' indicating sleep, highlighting the importance of sleep for healing after surgery.

Get Plenty of Sleep

You may find it difficult due to discomfort, but your body does a lot of healing while sleeping after surgery.

Illustration of a relaxed woman with closed eyes, highlighting the importance of stress management for recovery after surgery.

Manage Pain & Stress

Take pain medication only as directed and avoid stress, which can make your body heal slower.2

Illustration of a hand applying a bandage to a wound, emphasizing the importance of keeping the wound clean, covered, and dry after surgery.

Keep Your Wound Clean & Covered

Make sure your wound stays clean, covered, and dry at all times. Using a bandage will keep your wound protected as it heals.

Illustration of a turtle moving slowly, symbolizing the need for slow and careful movement after surgery to avoid straining the wound area.

Move Slowly

While it’s good to get the blood flowing with a bit of movement, avoid activity after surgery that could strain the area around your wound. Check in with your doctor about when it’s safe to exercise again.

Illustration of a calendar with a date circled, emphasizing the importance of continuous care for post-surgical recovery to avoid complications.

Keep at the Care

Keep caring for your incision until it is fully healed. Nearly 30% of patients run into post-surgical complications and end up back in the hospital—usually because they relaxed care.

Young girl hugging adult with IV in arm

Post-Surgery Care: What to Do on the Daily

Plan on spending at least 10-20 minutes caring for your surgical incision every day. It could be more if you have multiple incisions or were sent home with special care instructions.

You’ll need to:

  • Inspect it regularly to make sure it’s free from infection

  • Clean it

  • Change the dressing

Woman practicing self after taking a shower

Getting Clean While Staying Covered

As regular as showering may be, get your healthcare provider’s okay before jumping in after surgery. And keep in mind, your incision needs a little extra protection in there:

  • Keep it dry with a waterproof bandage that seals on all four sides.

  • Avoid soaking or putting it directly in strong streams of water.

  • Stay away from shower gels, soap, and lotions.

After showering, remove the waterproof bandage and cover your incision again with a clean, dry dressing.

Woman resting on couch in yellow shirt

Abdominal Surgery Recovery

Because your core—your abdomen—is involved with so many of the moves your body makes, recovering from abdominal surgery can require some special care.

Take It Real Easy

No stretching or straining allowed. Recruit help where you can because everything you need should be brought to you or within a short arm’s reach.

Support the Abdomen

Maintain good posture when walking and standing. And hold your abdominal incision for sudden movements, like when laughing, coughing, or sneezing.

Get Comfy

To sleep, use an extra pillow between your knees and another under your stomach when lying on your side. This should help keep you comfortable and stop you from rolling onto your abdominal incision.

Move Around … But Not Too Much

You need rest, but too much lying around can trigger blood clots or pressure ulcers.3 Getting up and gently walking after surgery will get the blood flowing and your digestion moving. A bit of discomfort is to be expected, but make sure you’re not straining your abdominal area in any way. Too much activity can land you back in the hospital.

Avoid Lifting

Your doctor may tell you a different amount, but generally avoid lifting anything more than 5lbs while recovering after surgery. This includes groceries, laundry, children, and pets.

Mother kissing new born on forehead

C-Section Incision Care & Recovery: Don’t Rush to Bounce Back

The days and weeks that follow a C-section bring their own special care requirements—and that’s not including the baby! Just know that taking care of yourself while you recover from a C-section is every bit as important as taking care of your new little life.

Sources:

  1. “Surgical Site Infections” https://www.cdc.gov/healthcare-associated-infections?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/HAI/pdfs/ssi/SSI_tagged.pdf

  2. “How to Take Care of Your Wound After Surgery” https://www.webmd.com/first-aid/surgical-wound-care

  3. “Mistakes After Surgery that Slow Your Recovery" https://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/features/rehab-mistakes#1

When to Call a Doctor

Even with the most conscientious care, you can run into trouble with post-surgery wounds. You may find yourself wondering if your symptoms are normal or a sign of emergency. If you’re ever seriously concerned, err on the side of caution and call your doctor.

Two doctors checking the heart rate of a young child.
Not sure what to do?

Call our Nurse Hotline to speak with a medical professional.


1-800-526-3967

Seek professional if you have:

Blue icon of a flame, indicating heat or inflammation, often associated with a surgical incision that is swollen, hot, or notably red.

A surgical incision that is swollen, hot, or notably red

Icon symbolizing green or yellow drainage spot in a wound

A wound that has green or yellow drainage

Icon depicting squiggly lines representing bad odor, suggesting that a wound emitting a bad smell is a reason to call a doctor.

A wound that smells bad

Icon of three blue droplets indicating bleeding that does not stop with pressure.

Bleeding that does not stop with pressure

Icon depicting a pained face with zigzag lines around it, symbolizing pain.

Pain that is not getting better

Icon depicting swelling, indicating to seek professional help if feeling hardness or fullness around an incision.

A feeling of hardness or fullness around the incision

Icon indicating a surgical incision that has opened, represented by a blue stitched wound symbol.

A surgical incision that has opened

Blue thermometer icon ilustrating temperature measurement.

A fever or 38.3°C or 101°F

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