Surgery recovery: Practical steps that actually help
Surgery throws your routine off. The good news: small, focused actions speed healing and cut complications. This page gives clear, usable steps you can start today — from wound care and pain control to moving safely and spotting warning signs.
First 48 hours: what matters most
Rest, control bleeding, and follow discharge instructions exactly. Keep dressings clean and dry; if a bandage becomes soaked, call your clinic. Take prescribed pain meds on schedule for the first day or two — waiting until pain spikes makes it harder to control. Drink water regularly unless your surgeon told you otherwise; hydration helps tissue repair.
Breathing and circulation matter as much as the incision. Use an incentive spirometer if given one, or take deep breaths every hour while awake to prevent lung congestion. Move your legs every hour and do gentle ankle pumps to lower the risk of blood clots, especially after lower-body procedures.
Quick daily checklist
- Wound: check for redness, leaking, or increased pain.
- Pain: take meds as directed; note what helps and what doesn’t.
- Move: short walks 3–6 times per day as tolerated; avoid heavy lifting.
- Eat: protein-rich meals, fruits, and vegetables; aim for regular bowel movements.
- Sleep: use pillows to support the surgical area and sleep on the side your clinician recommends.
Nutrition fuels repair. Prioritize protein (eggs, chicken, beans), vitamin C (citrus, strawberries), and zinc (nuts, meat). If you’re having trouble eating, small frequent meals work better than one large plate. If constipation appears from pain meds, use fiber, fluids, and a gentle stool softener if approved by your doctor.
Wound care tips that matter: wash hands before touching the site, avoid soaking the wound until your provider says it's safe, and protect the area from friction. If you have dissolving stitches, they often don’t need removal; chart the date your surgeon gave you and follow their timeline.
Mental recovery is real. Feeling anxious, low, or angry after surgery is common. Talk with a friend, join a recovery group online, or tell your clinician if mood interferes with eating, sleeping, or following care instructions.
When planning activity, be realistic. Healing timelines vary: minor outpatient procedures often take days to a few weeks; major surgeries can take months. Use your pain, energy levels, and surgeon’s notes to guide progress rather than comparing to others.
Warning signs — when to call your doctor
Call your clinic right away for heavy bleeding, fever above 38°C (100.4°F), increasing redness or swelling, new drainage that smells bad, sudden shortness of breath, chest pain, or calf swelling and pain. If a medication causes severe rash, hives, or breathing trouble, seek emergency care.
Follow-up visits are not optional. They let your team remove stitches, check healing, and adjust pain or mobility plans. Keep questions written down so you don’t forget them during appointments—patients often remember one question and miss the rest.
Simple, steady steps beat dramatic fixes. Do a little each day: care for the wound, control pain, move safely, eat well, and call your team when something feels off. You’ll heal faster and worry less.