Frequently Asked Questions:

Frequently Asked Questions

1. When can I have a shower/bath?

Continued

You can have a shower 3 days after your

8. Do I have to take my narcotics/How

surgery. However you must wait 2 weeks

long do I have to take my meds for?

before having a bath or going swimming.

2. How long until my staples or stiches

come out? Usually 5-10 days after surgery-

You should take the medications for as long as

you are feeling pain. Try to wean off of the
medication to ensure that you can still

during your follow up appointment.

maintain adequate pain control.

3. Do I have to change the bandage on

9. When can I resume sexual activity?

my abdomen? Bandages can be removed

Once you have your doctors clearance you can

the next day or changed as necessary (once

resume sexual activity. We estimate it will be

saturated with drainage from the incision).

at least two weeks before you should engage in

4. When can I drive? You should not drive

intercourse to ensure that your abdominal

while taking narcotics. If you are finished with

incision is not disturbed during the healing

pain medication and only taking Advil- you

process.

may drive.

What to Expect After Your

Appendectomy: A Guide to
Post-Operative Care and

[Future Solutions Now]

Recovery

5. Why are my bowel movements

irregular? Constipation after surgery is
common due to the anaesthetic and pain
medication. You can take Metamucil to help.
Antibiotics can cause diarrhea- in the event of
several days-worth- try eating yogurt to help!

Your follow-up appointment has been

scheduled for:
Thursday, September 21, 2014 @ 9:00am

6. When should I contact the doctor?

If any of the Not Normal conditions arise.

7. Are there any restrictions to what I

can eat after my surgery? You may resume
your regular diet once returning home from
the hospital- however, you may want to stick

Contact Information:
For urgent matters:
333-555-7788
For non-urgent matters:
call our office at 333-666-8899

to bland foods that are easy to digest for the

first few days to help decrease the nausea
and chance of vomiting.

Brought to you by Courtney Braithwaite

RPN Student at Humber College (Class of 2016)

By: Courtney Braithwaite

Nurs*209 Assignment (2014) catered towards
a 22 year old fitness instructor

Congratulations on your
appendectomy!

You have just undergone a surgery to remove

your appendix because it became infected. This
procedure is very common. Medication cannot
cure appendicitis, but surgery can! Not to worryremoving your appendix should have no impact
on your long term health. You will most likely
experience pain and discomfort this is due to
the surgical incision and operation. You will
receive medication to help manage your pain
level. In most cases the incision is closed with
stiches or staples which will be removed 5-10
days after your surgery. Your surgeon may put a
drain in the wound to help prevent infection and
this will be removed several days later.

What is Normal:
Drowsiness, dizziness or lightheadedness is normal. It is usually
caused due to the after effects of the
anaesthetic, but can also be a side effect
of the narcotic pain medication.
Bruising or soreness around the incision
site
General itching- this can be a side effect
of some narcotics! It is not an allergic
reaction- unless you have a rash
present. If the itching bothers you- you
can take a Benadryl to help.
Low grade fevers within the first few
days (99-100.5F)

What is NOT Normal:

A temperature higher than 101F
Pus (thick, yellow fluid) draining from
incision site or thick greenish-brown
foul-smelling discharge
Any chest pain or difficulty breathing

Most patients stay in the hospital for 1-2 days

after their surgery. You will be given a follow up
appointment with your doctor to inspect the
incision site and to see how your recovery
process is going.
Most people have a full recovery, in which they
are back to their full activity level, within 4-6
weeks post-op. This pamphlet will go over tips
and advice on how to ensure you have a safe
and speedy recovery!

Increasing pain at incision site (pain

getting worse as days go on rather than
better)
More Abdominal pain or bloating than
prior to surgery (in excess compared to
before)
Nausea and vomiting once past 48hrs
post-op
A lot of bright red bleeding through the
bandage

What to do and how soon can I do it:

During the next two months after your surgery
we suggest:
Limit your activities! You cannot
participate in sports or heavy lifting.
Practice 10 deep breaths every hour and
2 coughs every hour for the first week.
This will help decrease your risk of lung
problems and pneumonia.
Hug a pillow against your abdomen to
help brace your incisions when you need
to cough or sneeze.
Roll to one side and use your arms to
help yourself up when getting in or out
of bed or chairs. This will prevent you
from using your abdominal muscles.
For the first few days- only light walking!
Walking can help to reduce the risk of
blood clots and improve circulation to
help with recovery
No lifting (of greater than 10lbs) for the
first 3 weeks after surgerylifting
heavier than this incorporates your
abdominal muscles and can cause you to
strain and disrupt the healing process.

Week 1: Only light walking

Week 2: Light aerobic activity

Week 3: Slowly incorporate low impact
activity (i.e Yoga, jogging or bike riding)
Week 4: Incorporate light lifting (<20lbs)
Week 6: Resume normal activity if able