You may be told not to lift or carry anything heavier than 10 pounds, or 4.5 kilograms (about a gallon, or 4 liters of milk), for 2 weeks after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery and 6 to 8 weeks after open lung surgery. You may walk 2 or 3 times a day. Start with short distances and slowly increase how far you walk.
How long does it take to recover from lung surgery? Recovering from lung surgery generally takes most people anywhere from a few weeks to 3 months. Before you leave hospital, you'll be given detailed instructions for exercise, medications, follow up appointments, ongoing wound care and resuming normal activities.
Your doctor will tell you when you can start driving again but it is usually about 4 to 6 weeks after surgery. It might be sooner than this after keyhole surgery. Some insurance companies also specify that you shouldn't drive for a certain amount of time after chest surgery.
You can sleep in any position that is comfortable. Some patients need to sleep sitting in an upright position at first. It may be painful to sleep on your side, but it will not hurt your heart or incisions.
Showering After Thoracic Surgery
You can shower 48 hours (2 days) after your chest tube is removed. Take a shower every day to clean your incision. If you have staples in your incision, it's OK to get them wet. Take your bandage(s) off before you shower.
Fatigue is normal following surgery and should improve day after day as your body begins to heal itself. Some people have it worse than others due to age, health, and the type of surgery they had, but with time and proper care, most will be able to build up their strength and energy levels.
A: How someone recovers depends upon their pulmonary function. Some patients have shortness of breath that goes away a week after surgery; others might have shortness of breath that goes away a few weeks after surgery.
Cough is a common symptom among many patients who have undergone lung surgery, and management can be challenging. The etiology of a post-surgical cough is ill-defined. Although there have been a few proposed mechanisms, no consensus has been reached, hence the need for further investigation [1].
You may be told not to lift or carry anything heavier than 10 pounds, or 4.5 kilograms (about a gallon, or 4 liters of milk), for 2 weeks after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery and 6 to 8 weeks after open lung surgery. You may walk 2 or 3 times a day. Start with short distances and slowly increase how far you walk.
Wear comfortable, clean clothing. Particularly suitable is cotton clothing, especially if drainage is still an issue. Walk as much as you feel able to. Stop when you are short of breath, rest, and then continue.
After the surgery on your lung, your surgeon will close the ribs, muscles, and skin with sutures. Open lung surgery may take from 2 to 6 hours.
You may be told not to lift or carry anything heavier than 10 pounds, or 4.5 kilograms (about a gallon, or 4 liters of milk), for 2 weeks after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery and 6 to 8 weeks after open lung surgery. You may walk 2 or 3 times a day. Start with short distances and slowly increase how far you walk.
While many people regard lung cancer surgery as a means to "cut out the cancer," one of the primary aims of the surgery is to restore or improve the quality of life. And, despite what some may think, people can live normal, active lives even when part or all of a lung is removed.
Lung surgery is typically a major operation that involves general anesthesia and several weeks of recovery, although minimally invasive options exist that can shorten recovery time.
Nerve damage caused by the operation may lead to long-term chest pain for some patients. Some also experience pain near their scar. As your nerves work to repair themselves, this pain may fade over time. For others, visiting a pain clinic or neuropathy specialist is needed to control pain.
During your operation, you will receive intravenous fluids to replenish your body's fluids and balance your sodium levels. This IV fluid is often the culprit for bloating as your body attempts to regulates its fluid levels postoperatively.
Things to avoid during recovery for lobectomy
Tobacco smoke (you should never smoke, but should also stay away from people who are smoking) Smoke from fires. Chemical fumes, like paints and cleaning solutions. Environmental pollution.
Swelling and Bruising.
Tissue injury, whether accidental or intentional (e.g. surgery), is followed by localized swelling. After surgery, swelling increases progressively, reaching its peak by the third day. It is generally worse when you first arise in the morning and decreases throughout the day.
Post-thoracotomy pain is usually caused by damage to the intercostal nerves and muscles between the ribs. Unfortunately, this damage is often unavoidable during surgery.
Having a lung transplant may cause fear, anxiety, and stress. After surgery, you may feel overwhelmed, depressed, or worried about complications. All of these feelings are normal for someone going through a major surgery.
Avoiding post‐operative bathing or showering for two to three days may result in accumulation of sweat and dirt on the body. Conversely, early washing of the surgical wound may have an adverse effect on healing, for example by irritating or macerating the wound, and disturbing the healing environment.
Treatment with an inhaled corticosteroid plus β2 agonist can alleviate persistent cough after pulmonary resection, which is refractory to opioid cough suppressors such as codeine.
Depending on your surgical wound, coughing may be painful and not powerful enough to clear the phlegm properly. Some people get a dry but persistent cough after an anaesthetic. This is common and does not mean you are getting a chest infection. It normally lasts only a day or two.