Sleeping on your back One of the best sleeping position after going through any surgery is resting straight on your back. If you have had surgery on your legs, hips, spine, and arms, this position will benefit you the most. Moreover, if you add a pillow underneath your body areas, it provides more support and comfort.
Specific details regarding where your legs, arms, and toes should be placed vary, but for the most part, sleeping on your back with your arms at your side and toes pointed toward the ceiling may be best. This position helps keep your body neutrally aligned, so when in doubt, you may want to sleep on your back!
It is also important to keep in mind that the sleeping positions you choose can affect your blood flow and healing process. To ensure proper healing, it is best to sleep in positions that are comfortable and supportive of your body while avoiding any pressure points on the incision site.
Sleep on an Incline.
Do not sleep flat on your back. Sleeping on an incline for 4-6 weeks after surgery is best. For the first week or two, a recliner may be the most comfortable option. Purchasing a 45 degree wedge from a medical supply store can also provide a stable base to prop yourself up in the bed.
After 48 hours you may sleep flat on your back, you may not sleep on your stomach or sides for four weeks. Fluids: Fluids are critical following surgery. Drinking fluids is very important to help rid the body of the drugs used in surgery. Clear juices and water are best.
During sleep, cells in the body produce proteins. These proteins are the building blocks for the formation of new cells needed during the healing process. A good night's sleep can help the body make the needed repairs for recovery.
The importance of rest after surgery is stressed by doctors because your body is going to do a lot of healing while sleeping. After all, your body does the majority of its healing while you're asleep. It's important that you're able to take a nap whenever you need to.
Why? Keeping your head elevated minimizes post-op swelling and discomfort, prevents strain to incision sites, and can even help you feel ready to go out in public a little more quickly. Many patients find that sleeping in a recliner is the easiest and most comfortable way to maintain the correct sleeping position.
General anaesthetics can affect your memory, concentration and reflexes for a day or two, so it's important for a responsible adult to stay with you for at least 24 hours after your operation, if you're allowed to go home.
Healing depends on your general health and the type of surgery you had. Large or deep surgery incisions can take 6 to 8 weeks to heal. People with medical problems or prescribed certain medications may take longer.
After 48 hours, surgical wounds can get wet without increasing the risk of infection. After this time, you can get your stitches wet briefly with a light spray (such as in the shower), but they should not be soaked (for example, in the bath). Make sure you pat the area dry afterwards.
You may need to cover your stitches with a bandage for 24 to 48 hours, or as directed. Do not bump or hit the suture area. This could open the wound. Do not trim or shorten the ends of your stitches.
The doctor who puts in the stitches or staples will tell you when to see your doctor or nurse to have them taken out. Non-absorbable stitches usually stay in for 5 to 14 days, depending on where they are. Staples usually stay in for 7 to 10 days. Staples need to be taken out with a special staple remover.
You may temporarily need a urinary catheter. This is a thin soft tube put into your bladder while you are asleep, to drain the urine during and after the surgical procedure.
If you're having general anesthesia, an anesthesiologist will give you medications that make you lose consciousness. After the surgery is complete, he or she will reverse the medication so that you regain consciousness — but you won't be wide awake right away.
The inflammatory process is most active in the first 24 hours after a surgery, persisting for up to 2 weeks. We recommend that you continue the aforementioned icing routine for the first 2 weeks after your surgery.
Dr. Howland requires patients to wear their compression bra for several weeks at all times except when bathing to aid the healing process.
Inflammation, lingering pain, and medications used during and after an operation can also disrupt sleep, even once a person is at home.
There may be a significant correlation between worst pain at 48 hours and return to normal activity within seven days. There may be a risk that patients can not return to normal activities within seven days because of worst pain experience at 48 hours after day surgery.
Give your body proper healing energy
Vitamin C found in fruits has also been shown to boost the healing process. Foods like fish and eggs, which contain iron and B12 help the body form needed new blood cells. Fiber and probiotics boost the immune system so it can fight off infection.
Hormones could be a major factor, says Slawsby. "Nighttime is when the production of the anti-inflammatory hormone cortisol is at its lowest." New research also has suggested that pain may follow a circadian rhythm like the body's internal 24-clock that regulates our sleep-wake cycle.