Following Your Surgery at Grand View Hospital
At Grand View Hospital, we understand that not knowing what to expect after surgery may be just as nerve-racking as the surgery itself. That's why we provide you with information on what you can expect following your surgical procedure.
RECOVERY
Leaving the Operating Room
After your surgery, you will be taken from the operating room to the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) or directly to the Surgical Short Stay Unit (SSSU), where a nurse will:
- Monitor your vital signs
- Provide you with medication to manage your pain
- Ask you to rate your pain using a variety of pain scales
Depending on your type of surgery, you may be admitted and transferred to a nursing unit. If you are receiving same-day surgery, you can expect to stay in the SSSU one to three hours after surgery.
How Will You Feel?
Following your procedure, you may have a sore throat and be sleepy. You may not remember the first hour or two after surgery. Once you've recovered, you will be offered a beverage. Loved ones may join you at this time.
BEING DISCHARGED
Discharge Instructions
Your physician or nurse will give you discharge instructions. Because you may be groggy from your procedure and medication, we suggest that both you and your escort listen to these instructions. We will also give you written instructions.
After your surgery, your physician and/or nurse will talk to you about the following:
- Care of stitches, staples, incisions, bandages, and dressings
- Bathing and showering
- What you can expect regarding pain
- How to identify signs of infection
- Guidelines and restrictions on eating, physical activity, sexual relations, and driving
You must be fully awake, able to take fluids, empty your bladder, and be relatively comfortable before you may leave for home. Your anesthesiologist or another physician will visit you before you leave.
Picking Up Prescriptions
Please have your escort fill any prescriptions on the way home, so pain medication will be available as needed. If your doctor has prescribed an antibiotic, begin it promptly and take it until it is gone.
HOME CARE
Home Care Eligibility
You may be eligible to receive visits from a nurse or therapist in your home during your recovery. Home care is available through Grand View Hospital’s Home Care Department, which provides:
- Nursing
- Home health aide service
- Social work
- Occupational, speech and physical therapy
The Grand View Case Management Department can help you arrange for home care or help coordinate a smooth transition from hospital to a short or long-term living facility.
When to Call Your Doctor
You will need to call your doctor immediately if you have any of the following from your incision or operative site.
- Bright red drainage
- Excessive drainage or bleeding
- increased redness, swelling, pain or foul-smelling drainage
- Fever
If You Cannot Reach Your Surgeon
If you cannot reach your surgeon, call the Emergency Department at Grand View Hospital at 215-453-4674.
If you are experiencing severe problems, such as heavy bleeding, chest pains, or difficulty breathing, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room immediately.
Surgical Care Resources
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