You can shower 48 hours after the completion of your surgery. Remove yourself from your garment, bra, or binder, and then take all the gauze and dressings off. DO NOT REMOVE any steri-strips if they are taping your incisions together — your surgeon will remove those in two weeks. Steri-strips and drains (if you have them) can all get wet in the shower. No baths, hot tubs, lakes, pools, etc. Baths, pools, and spas are usually okay at 4 weeks, but must be cleared by your surgeon. After showering, pat everything dry and then put yourself back in your garment, bra, or binder. If you still have a small amount of bleeding or oozing from the incisions, you can dress them with gauze.
It is okay to resume all home medications once you get home, unless it is a blood thinner. Please check with your surgeon or the office if you are unsure. Wait at least 48 hours before resuming vitamins and supplements.
Regardless of surgery, it is important that you walk to prevent a clot or deep vein thrombosis (DVT). You should take it easy the first night and rest in bed or a recliner. Be mindful to move around and go to the bathroom, kitchen, living room, etc. A clot in your leg can be a serious threat to your health and can simply be avoided by doing some light walking. Walk 30 minutes, 2–3 times per day, for the first week.
Start your antibiotics when you get home the evening of surgery. Take Tylenol 1000mg up to 4x per 24 hours during the day as needed. Take Celebrex (celecoxib) for 2 weeks — do not mix with ibuprofen/Aleve, etc.
Take Flexeril (cyclobenzaprine) and gabapentin as prescribed for additional pain protection. Narcotic pain medication should be utilized as needed; however, if the pain is hard to control, take the pain medication on a scheduled basis (every 4 hours) for the first 24 hours, and then you can go as needed.
This is dependent on your procedure. If you only had liposuction, you may resume light exercise at any time — typically around 2 weeks is when you’ll feel comfortable doing so. With surgeries involving incisions, we will discuss at your post-op visit when specific exercises can be resumed.
Do not drive while taking narcotic pain medications, or if your body is in pain or stiff. Your first driving experience after surgery should be with a friend or family member in the car, in case you do not feel well enough and need to pull over.
Drains should be emptied when half full — roughly three to four times a day in the beginning. After the first week, record the drain output and bring in your output sheet so your surgeon can determine when they can come out. Typically, that’s when the output is less than 30cc per 24 hours for 2–3 days.
Follow-ups are typically scheduled at 1 week, 2–3 weeks (for drain removal if applicable), 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year. However, we are flexible based on your medical needs and your lifestyle. If things are going well, or for out-of-town patients, we can do virtual appointments spaced further apart. Conversely, if you need or would like more appointments for closer monitoring, we can schedule you more. We are here for you in your post-op journey as much or as little as you’d like. We want the best results for our patients — but for our patients to also feel supported.