One of the most important factors in recovering from a surgical procedure is the quality of care you receive afterwards. While your close friends or family can provide decent support, few are more skilled and qualified than a registered post operative care nurse from a reputable service like Coastal Home Care of Wicomico County, MD.
Our staff is fully-certified and thoroughly trained to ensure our patients experience few complications and easy recoveries. For over ten years, we have offered excellent, personalized services in elder care, medication management, and post-operative support. Below, we discuss the basic aspects of post-operative care and what you can do to ensure a smooth recovery:
Prior to Surgery
Though post-operative care describes the period of recovery after your surgery, there are certain actions you can take beforehand to return to your daily routine.
The first thing you should do is contact your doctor and ask them for suggestions and information about your post-operative needs. Since each procedure requires different forms of care, ask the following questions to determine the type of care you may need:
- How long will I be in the hospital?
- When can I return to my normal routine?
- What are the possible side effects of the procedure?
- Will I need a caregiver during my recovery?
- What should I do (or not do) to recover successfully?
These questions will provide enough information to help you prepare for recovery. For example, if your procedure requires you to have a caregiver with you, you’ll have time to contact family, friends, or an outpatient post-operative care service in your area.
The most important thing is that you take the necessary steps to identify any complications that may arise after your procedure and address them as soon as possible.
After the Procedure – at the Hospital
Immediately after your procedure, you’ll head to a recovery room where the hospital staff will monitor your condition, check your surgical site, and test your breathing, blood pressure, and oxygen levels to determine your current state.
During this time, they’ll determine whether you should stay in the hospital overnight or return home to begin recovering. They can also refer to your records, which may indicate that your procedure was scheduled as an inpatient or outpatient surgery.
Inpatient surgeries require you to stay in the hospital to receive postoperative care and can involve staying overnight or for several days. Outpatient surgeries can simply be described as “same-day surgery”, where you are more likely able to return home after your procedure. However, in many cases, outpatient procedures have required inpatient care due to complications from the surgery.
After the Procedure – at Home
Once your doctor determines your condition is stable, you’ll be able to return home and begin your recovery. This includes:
- Closely following your doctor’s instructions
- Taking your prescribed medications
- Attending follow-up appointments
- Avoiding any potential complications for your recovery.
As you begin to recover at home, get a healthy balance of rest and activity so you can build up the same level of strength and energy you had before. In time, you’ll be able to perform more and more of your daily routine, especially if you have a certified post-operative caregiver working with you.
A caregiver will help you recover more easily by assisting with managing your medication, properly changing your surgical bandages, or simply helping you prepare meals and completing other numerous tasks. At Coastal Home Care, we have received numerous comments about how the assistance of our post-operative care specialists results in remarkable improvements in patient health.
Coastal Home Care: Attentive Post Operative Care in Wicomico County, MD
The effects of surgery have an enormous strain on the body, and can take several days, even weeks, to fully heal from. Without considering the details of one’s recovery, complications are more likely to occur. However, with the help of an experienced post operative care service like Coastal Home Care of Wicomico, County, MD, you can ensure you or your loved one receives the support you need. Our personalized care involves evaluating and setting up plans that will help ensure our patients receive the proper care in any given situation. Contact us at (888) 687-7307 for more information about our services, schedule an appointment with a professional caregiver today.