 | Patient Education Monday, September 16, 2024 |  |
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| Following the procedure, you'll be moved then to a recovery area where you can relax until the sedation and anesthetic has worn off - and until the doctor is satisfied that you are fit to go home. Plan on spending several hours in recovery. Your doctor may be able to give you a more precise estimate prior to surgery.
Before you leave, you'll probably be prescribed a pain killer along with any other medication your doctor feels you need to take.
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Most patients experience at least some pain following surgery, but if properly handled, it shouldn't present any serious problems. | |||
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Pain used to be regarded as an unavoidable side effect of surgery, but today pain can be managed with great effectiveness. | |||
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And as the patient, you have an important role to play. | |||
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Before surgery, be sure to ask the medical staff about the type and duration of pain normally associated with your surgery. | |||
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Find out, in advance, about your pain management options. Work with the staff to develop a pain management plan. Discuss your options. There are alternatives to drugs that can lessen your need for pain medication. | |||
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Ask your doctor for help finding a pain management class. Many of these workshops teach helpful relaxation techniques, positive thinking and nerve stimulation exercises. | |||
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Following surgery, make sure to let your nurse know right away how you're feeling and whether or not you are in any pain. Be specific, and help them to measure your discomfort. | |||
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If you're having trouble expressing yourself, try to rank what you're feeling on a scale from 1 to 10. | |||
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Never be shy about asking for help. If you experience pain that just won't go away, report it to the nurse. | |||
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Pain is an important indicator that helps you and your medical staff understand your body's healing process... | |||
Hernia surgery only rarely leads to complications. There are three main risks. The first is a persistent residual neuralgia - or pain - around the scar. It can be either localized or general. It may develop soon after surgery - or even weeks or months later. Usually, it will decrease in intensity with time, but in very rare situations, it can become permanent. In some cases, chronic pain of this sort has led to depression and even an inability to resume normal work. The second potential complication is risk only for men. Because of the location of the hernia, hernia repair can sometimes cause damage to blood vessels, ultimately leading to a temporary loss of function and even a reduction in the size of the testis. This problem can appear within the first 2-5 days after surgery and it can take as long as 6 - 12 weeks to subside. Finally, about 3% of patients experience a recurrence of their hernia. A follow-up hernia within 10 years is somewhat more common with direct, inguinal hernias. Once you return home, you will be responsible to keeping the dressing intact and clean. As with all surgery, you should be alert for signs of infection near the incision - increased swelling, redness, bleeding or other discharge. Your doctor may advise you to be on the alert for other symptoms as well. If you experience any unusual symptoms, report them to your doctor right away. You'll also be responsible for ensuring that your bowels function normally following surgery. If you're a man, you also need to make sure that your testicles appear and feel normal. You may also notice some bruising in the general area of the incision, this discoloration may be extreme, it can even effect the penis and testis. But as with any bruising, it should heal on it's own. Before you leave, you'll be given discharge guidelines which may include diet, medication, work and other activity restrictions.
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You'll also make at least one follow-up appointment so that the doctor will be able to check the healing of the incision and/or to remove sutures. | |||
This program has been designed to help you to understand a surgical procedure and to empower you to be an active participant in your own care. We hope that you take the time to discuss alternative treatments with your doctor and that you learn as much as you can about your own particular medical situation. We also want to make sure that you understand all the risks of surgery and potential complications which can follow - no matter how unlikely they may be. It's important that you understand exactly what the procedure entails - including the risks, benefits and alternative treatments - before you decide to proceed. Always remember that the final decision to go ahead or not is up to you. |
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