Recovering at home
Expect to be discharged from the hospital 4 or 5 days after your surgery. To be sent home, you will need to be safely walking, eating and drinking a regular diet, and passing gas and/or stool.
The day you are discharged from the hospital, you will be given:
- Information on how to care for your incision(s) and/or drain
- Medications for pain and related prescriptions
Schedule soon
Call to schedule a post-operative visit 1 to 2 weeks following your surgery. If you have staples in your wound, they will be removed during your post-operative visit.
Engaged recovery resources
Ways to prepare for your homecoming
- Make advance support plans with friends and family so that you have the help you need with meals, bathing, laundry, and cleaning when you come home from the hospital.
- To help prevent infection, have plenty of clean sheets, towels, and comfortable clothing so friends and family can concentrate on YOU and not chores.
- Be sure you have a stock of food for when you come home from the hospital. Prepare and freeze some meals before your surgery that are easy to reheat.
- Make sure that your bathroom is easy to access. Think about where you would like to spend most of your time recovering.