Surely every person at least once faced with some kind of ailment. If some diseases are fairly easy and quickly end, then others may require surgical intervention. This article will introduce you to a medical term called postoperative control. You will find out what the peculiarity of patient care is at this time. It is also worth mentioning what is the postoperative period in the general sense.
Postoperative period
This time begins from the moment the patient is removed from the surgical table. In this case, the analgesic effect (anesthesia) may still continue. The postoperative period ends when the patient ceases to feel any discomfort from the manipulation and returns to the usual rhythm of life.
Most of the postoperative period takes place within the walls of the hospital. It is here that the patient is monitored (postoperative control). In some cases, the patient may leave the walls of the hospital immediately after he comes to his senses. In this case, the person is prescribed appropriate postoperative treatment and the necessary recommendations are given.
Depending on the complexity of the surgical intervention, the time of postoperative recovery can last from several days to six months. In this case, the patient’s age, physical fitness, body weight and other factors play a large role.
How is the postoperative period?
If the patient is within the walls of the hospital, then orderlies, nurses and doctors take care of him. When a person is released home, care recommendations are given to the person accompanying him. Postoperative control has several basic criteria. Let's consider them in more detail.
Bed rest
A prerequisite for recovery after surgery is complete rest. Depending on how difficult the operation was, the mobility restriction can be set for several hours or days.
During gynecological operations (curettage of the uterus, laparoscopy, etc.), the patient's mobility is limited to several hours. So, the patient can get up as soon as the action of anesthesia ends.
If the operation is performed on vessels, veins and arteries, then the restriction of mobility depends on the area of the damaged skin (postoperative suture).
During operations on vital organs (liver, kidneys, stomach, and so on), the patient is prescribed bed rest for several days.
If the surgery is performed on the heart, then the patient can be at rest for as long as the doctor says. In some cases, a very long stay in a horizontal position is required. Similar recommendations are given after spinal surgery.
Follow a special diet
A postoperative diet is prescribed in almost all cases. The patient is not allowed to eat immediately after he regains consciousness. Despite the frequent feeling of hunger? on the first day after the intervention, the patient is only allowed to drink water. All this is explained by the fact that after anesthesia a feeling of severe nausea and vomiting may occur.
The postoperative diet on the following days is recommended only to those individuals who have had surgery on the digestive and abdominal organs. So, during gynecological operations, it is necessary to wait for the stool to recover before transferring the patient to the general table. If the operation was performed on the stomach, intestines and gall bladder, then the diet can be recommended for life.
Postoperative treatment
Postoperative care consists in timely treatment. So, after each surgical intervention, the patient is prescribed an antibacterial course. If there are not even any difficulties, and the inflammatory process is absent, then these drugs are taken so that postoperative complications do not appear.
In addition to antibiotics, a person may be given medications aimed at correcting the operated organ. So, in the case of gynecological interventions, hormonal drugs are prescribed . During surgery on vessels and veins, venotonics and agents for the prevention of thrombosis are prescribed . In the surgical treatment of the digestive system, medications can be prescribed to improve the absorption of food and facilitate its absorption.
Patient monitoring
Postoperative monitoring also consists in monitoring the patient's condition. For this, tests (blood and urine tests) are regularly prescribed to detect the inflammatory process.
Also, depending on the area in which the operation was performed, manual examination or ultrasound diagnostics may be required. In more rare cases, an x-ray or magnetic resonance imaging is prescribed.
If postoperative complications are found during the examination, the recovery period can be significantly delayed.
Postoperative end
Postoperative control ends when the patient sutures are removed. From this point on, human health depends on his adherence to recommendations. Despite this, the patient should regularly visit a doctor for examination and monitoring.
Summarizing
Now you know what postoperative care is and what are the features of this period. If you have planned surgical intervention, then you should know in advance what recommendations will be given after the manipulation and prepare for them. Always follow the doctor’s prescription, listen to everything that the specialist says. Only in this case, the postoperative period will pass as quickly as possible, easily and without complications. Good health and a speedy recovery!