Monday, July 9, 2012

Activity after Major Surgery

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It's time to get out of bed.

Exercise after a major surgery is important. It decreases the risk of deep vein thrombosis and pneumonia. It also helps minimize deconditioning that results for the stress of an operation.
Day 0: Get to a chair. At least dangle and stand at the side of the bed, of course, with the help of the nurse.
Day 1: Out of bed as much as possible. Maybe to a chair for an 1 hour and walking four times.
Day 2 to discharge: Walking in halls four to six times. Spend more of the daylight hours in the chair rather than the bed.
At discharge: Clarify your restrictions with your surgeon and discharging nurse. Typically, you will need to limit heavy lifting for 4 to 6 weeks.
Before you arrive home, make sure that it is a safe environment. Loose mats and carpets can be a tripping hazard. How many steps into your house? Try stairs at the hospital (with the help of the nurse) before getting home and realizing you can't get to your bedroom.
1st Week Home: Walk, walk, walk. Get outside, you are no longer in the hospital. Enjoy the fresh air.
2nd Week and on wards: Aerobic exercise is good. If it hurts, wait 1 or 2 weeks and try it again.
Major abdominal operations can trigger significant back pain due to an imbalance of core muscles. Therefore, stretching exercises and frequent re-positioning can minimize back discomfort. If you have a significant history of back pain before the abdominal operation, consider arranging physical therapy before discharge.

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