5 After the operation

During the operation and afterwards you will be given a mild painkiller to avoid pain in the wound area. If necessary, cold compresses can be applied to reduce swelling of the wound and alleviate pain. The intensity and duration of wound pain after the operation varies from one patient to another. In general, pain resolves by the latest once the wound is completely healed.

 

To prevent thrombosis during and after surgery, you will be given compression stockings as well as, if needed, a blood thinning medication (heparin). To prevent constipation, you may be given a laxative. During the weeks after the operation you should also pay attention to your diet to ensure you stools are soft, thus avoiding strong pressing during bowel movements.

 

As a rule, you can and should get up again a few hours after surgery and walk around slowly and for short distances. This is important to avoid thrombosis or other complications such as pneumonia. As from when you will be able to engage in physical exertion again will vary from one person to another. Overall, it is true that patients become mobile once again more quickly after laparoscopic procedures and can resume work sooner again than after open surgical procedures. There is no fixed rule here but you should always ensure that you should exert yourself only to a degree that causes no pain (see also Back Home).

 

If absorbable sutures are used for surgery, there will be no need to remove these sutures. Otherwise, the stitches are taken out around 10 days later – this is mainly done by the general practitioner or surgeon in independent practice.