The postoperative period begins from the moment the surgical intervention is completed and continues until the patient's working capacity is fully restored. Depending on the complexity of the operation, this period can last from several weeks to several months. It is conditionally divided into three parts: the early postoperative period, lasting up to five days, the late - from the sixth day until the patient is discharged, and distant. The last of them occurs outside the hospital, but it is no less important.
After surgery, the patient is transported on a gurney to the intensive care unit and placed on a bed (most often on his back). It is necessary to observe the patient brought from the operating room until he regains consciousness after general anesthesia: upon exiting it, vomiting or agitation is possible, which manifests itself in sudden movements. The main tasks that are solved in the early postoperative period are the prevention of possible complications after surgery and their timely elimination, the correction of metabolic disorders, and the functioning of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. The patient's condition is facilitated by the use of analgesics, including narcotic drugs. Of great importance is the adequate selection of painkillers, which, at the same time, should not inhibit the vital functions of the body, including consciousness. After relatively simple operations (for example, appendectomies), pain relief is usually required only on the first day.
The early postoperative period in most patients is usually accompanied by an increase in temperature to subfebrile values. Normally, it falls by the fifth or sixth day. In older people, after surgery, the temperature may remain normal. If it rises to high numbers, or only from 5-6 days, this is a sign of an unsuccessful completion of the operation - as well as severe pains at the site of the operation, which after three days only intensify, but not wane.
The postoperative period is also fraught with complications from the cardiovascular system - especially in the elderly and in the event that blood loss during it was significant. Sometimes shortness of breath appears: in elderly patients, it can be moderately expressed after surgery. If it manifests itself only on days 3-6, this indicates the development of dangerous postoperative complications: pneumonia, pulmonary edema, peritonitis, etc., especially in combination with pallor and severe cyanosis. Among the most dangerous complications include postoperative bleeding - from a wound or internal, manifested by a sharp pallor, increased heart rate, thirst. If these symptoms appear, you should immediately call a doctor.
In some cases, after surgery, suppuration of the wound may develop. Sometimes it manifests itself already on the second or third day, however, most often makes itself felt on the fifth - eighth day, and often - after the patientβs discharge. At the same time, redness and swelling of the joints, as well as sharp pain during palpation, are noted. However, with deep suppuration, especially in elderly patients, its external signs, except for soreness, may be absent, although the purulent process itself can be quite extensive. To prevent complications after surgery, adequate patient care and accurate compliance with all medical prescriptions are required. In general, how the postoperative period will proceed and what its duration will be depends on the patient's age and state of health and, of course, on the nature of the intervention.
It usually takes several months for the patient to recover completely after surgery. This applies to all types of surgical operations - including plastic surgery. For example, after such a seemingly relatively simple operation as rhinoplasty, the postoperative period lasts up to 8 months. Only after this period, you can evaluate how successfully the operation to correct the nose and how it will look.