Post Operative Recovery
How long will I be in hospital?
Hospital stay varies depending on the type of surgery you have had and whether there have been any complications. On average, hospital stay is between 2-5 days.
What might I experience when I go home?
- You will likely experience pain (including headache especially behind the eyes), inflammation, and discomfort in the operated area. Pain and anti-inflammatory medications are provided as needed.
- You will experience fatigue and tiredness, especially in the first 2 weeks. You should get plenty of rest but don’t stay in bed all day as it may increase the risk of complications such as clots in legs and infections.
- Some experience dizziness and light-headedness. It is important to stay hydrated and get up slowly from a seated or lying position
- Difficulty sleeping at night. Check with your surgeon if you can have sleeping tablets to help with this.
- Loss of taste and appetite which resolves over time.
- If there have been neurological issues before and after surgery, these may persist for a while before getting better. Specific post-operative instructions will be provided for these. They include:
- Double vision
- Loss of peripheral vision
- Facial muscle weakness causing inability to close one eye
- Hearing loss
- Weakness of arm and/or leg
- Speech or word finding difficulty
- You may also experience mental health issues such as anxiety or depression. It is strongly recommended that you get professional help with this but also allow your family and friends to support you.
What can I do to help my recovery?
- Keep the surgical site clean. Instructions on surgical site care and bathing will be provided.
- Generally, you will be able to wash your hair/head approximately 4 days after surgery. It is important that you pat it dry rather than rub on the wound.
- No dressings are required after 4 days.
- Wounds do feel tight and itchy as they heal. It is important not to scratch as that will increase the chance of infection.
- Refrain from smoking and alcohol until your first follow up visit as it can negatively affect the healing process.
- Refrain from lifting anything heavier than 5 Kg and other strenuous activities until the first follow-up visit. These activities may include housework, yard work, gardening, mowing, etc.
- Strictly follow instructions on prescribed medications.
- If you have endoscopic transnasal surgery, refrain from sneezing and blowing your nose until your follow up visit (4-6 weeks)
- Gentle exercise and regular walking are recommended from 2 weeks after surgery. This will improve stamina, relieve fatigue and improve sleep.
- A 10-minute walk around the block, 3 times a day is a good way to start.
- After 4 weeks, more vigorous exercise such as slow pace running, stationary cycling and light weights is safe.
- Refrain from driving until you are fully fit and receive your surgeon’s clearance.
When can I return to normal activities and work?
- Most patients can return to their normal daily routines in 4-6 weeks after surgery.
- If you require rehabilitation post-surgery, the recovery will be more prolonged.
- If you need other treatments such as radiotherapy or chemotherapy after surgery, the recovery period will be more prolonged.
- You may not be able to drive for 3-6 months after surgery and sometimes longer.
What symptoms should I be concerned about after I go home and who should I contact (in the first 4 weeks)?
- Redness, swelling and discharge from the wound may indicate infection.
- Contact our office or see your GP. After hours, call the hospital and ask for the Neurosurgical registrar
- Swelling or watery fluid leaking out of the wound.
- Contact our office. After hours, call the hospital and ask for the Neurosurgical registrar
- Endoscopic endonasal surgery and acoustic surgery – water dripping from the nose, especially when leaning forward.
- Contact our office. After hours, call the hospital and ask for the Neurosurgical registrar
- Acoustic surgery – new facial droop and inability to close the eye.
- Contact our office. After hours, call the hospital and ask for the Neurosurgical registrar
- Endoscopic endonasal surgery – bleeding from the nose. A small amount of blood is expected and normal. Continuous, unstoppable bleeding is abnormal.
- Call and ambulance or present to your nearest emergency department.
- Fevers and generally feeling weak and unwell.
- See your GP
- Swelling and discomfort of one of both legs may indicate clots in the leg veins. (Deep venous thrombosis)
- See your GP, or present to your nearest emergency department.
- Chest pain, cough, difficulty breathing. This may indicate a chest infection or clots in lungs (pulmonary embolus).
- See your GP, or present to your nearest emergency department.
- New neurological problems that were not present whilst in hospital. This may include increasing headache, confusion, drowsiness, speech issues, weakness of arm and/or leg, visual problems.
- Call an ambulance or present to your nearest emergency department
- This may present as uncontrolled twitching of face, arm and/or leg, sudden inability to speak, or sudden loss of consciousness with vigorous shaking of the whole body.
- Call an ambulance
