Surgical Services at Grand View Hospital
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Following Surgery

Recovery
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 and provide you with medication to manage your pain.Your nurse will routinely ask you to rate your pain using a variety of pain scales.

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.

Depending on the type of your 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. You must be fully awake, able to take fluids, empty your bladder and be relatively comfortable before you may leave for home. The anesthesiologist or another physician will visit you before you leave.

Discharge from the Hospital
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.We will also give you written instructions to help you remember.

After your surgery, your physician and/or nurse will talk to you about the following:

• Care of stitches, staples, incision care, 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
• If you have an incision, be sure to:
• Follow your care instructions
• Keep the incision clean and dry

Please have your driver 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.

Care at Home as You Recover
Many surgical patients are eligible to receive visits from a nurse or therapist in their home during their recuperation. Our Case Management Department can assist you in arranging these services and determining whether your insurance provider, such as a commercial insurance plan or Medicare, will cover the costs of these services.

The Grand View Home Care Department provides nursing, home health aide service, social work, and occupational, speech and physical therapy in your home. Our staff expertly manages pain and controls other symptoms. To ensure your health-care needs, Grand View’s nurses and social-work case managers coordinate a smooth transition from hospital to home or long-term living facility.

When You Should Call Your Doctor
Call your doctor if you have any of the following from your incision or operative site:

• Bright red drainage
• A lot of drainage
• Excessive bleeding
• Increased redness, swelling, pain or foul-smelling drainage

Also, it is important to inform your doctor if you have a fever.

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 bleeding or difficulty breathing, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room immediately.