After Inpatient Surgery

Pain
Before you leave the hospital we will have discussed pain medications for you to take home with you. You will be given a prescription for the pain medications. You should continue to take your usual medications, also.

You will generally find there is significant pain for several days after the surgery, and it will then start to improve. One warning sign I am concerned about is if the pain is improving after a few days, and then starts to significantly worsen again. That would be something I would be interested in a hearing about from you. Should that occur, please contact the office.

If you have a problem with your pain medications, or you need a refill on your pain medications go here.

Swelling
You will find that keeping the operative site elevated for the first few days feels much better than letting it dangle down. You may certainly use a walker or crutches to get around, and when you do that the leg will hang down in a dependent position. That will cause swelling and throbbing, and it may be uncomfortable. So, once you have moved about, it is best to get the operative site elevated again.

For more about swelling, look here.

Wires
If you have wires in the foot or toes you should read this.

Office Visit
You should have an appointment for your first post-operative office visit. This is usually 7 – 10 days after your surgery. It is usually set that up prior to the surgery, but if there is any question about that, please call the office.

Concerns?
Should you have any questions or concerns while at home, please call the office. If you think there may be a complication with the surgery, look here.

There is a physician on-call 24 hours a day who can answer questions for you. It is always best if you can address your questions during working hours. However, if something comes up after hours that you are significantly concerned about, please call the office number and either I or the on-call physician will reach you.