After you’ve had your hernia laparoscopically removed, you need to stick to certain safety measures and precautions to ensure your fast and smooth healing. First and foremost, be sure that you have someone you trust to drive you home from the facility.
As soon as you’re safe at home, you can start your journey to recovery after hernia surgery. The information below will help you not to harm yourself during this process and take better care of your body.
After surgery to repair an inguinal hernia, no dietary restrictions are required. Some individuals may experience low appetite for a week or two after surgery. This is a natural side effect of the stress of surgery; your appetite should recover in time. If you continue to feel queasy or unable to consume liquids, contact the facility.
It is safe to shower around 36 hours after surgery. If you have bandages on your incisions, remove them before showering.
You should observe small pieces of tape (steri-strips) directly stuck to your skin. It's okay to get these small tapes wet in the shower. The tapes will begin to peel up on the ends 7 - 10 days following surgery; at this point, they have done their job, and you may peel them the rest of the way off if you choose. You do not need to wear them throughout your postoperative visit.
There should be no baths, pools, or hot tubs for two weeks. Do not apply ointment or other medications to your wounds; they will not facilitate better healing.
There are no medical or physical restrictions to exercise following surgery. That means it is OK to walk, climb stairs, lift, engage in sexual intercourse, mow the grass, or exercise as long as it does not cause pain. In fact, getting back to normal activities as soon as possible will most likely help you heal. However, do not do it if it does not make you feel good. Take it gently, and let pain guide you.
On the practical side, you will most likely be really sore for a week or two. Don't be fooled by the little incisions – this procedure is really unpleasant! It's uncomfortable because you have many titanium "screws" holding your mesh in place, which go through all of the muscle layers in your pelvis.
You may also feel exhausted and "washed out" for a week or two after surgery. These elements will limit your activities, but you will not cause any harm, even if you feel sore.
Individuals return to work at varying periods. If you choose, you can return to work straight immediately; however, most people take at least one to two weeks off before returning to work.
You should be able to drive after not taking narcotic (prescription) pain drugs for two days.
The first bowel movement may occur 1-5 days following surgery; as long as you are not sick or experiencing abdominal pain, this range is OK. Remember that it is fairly typical to pass a lot more gas from your rectum than you used to - this is because you will not be able to belch.
Some individuals experience diarrhea or "loose bowels" during the first few days after hernia repair; in the vast majority of cases, stool function returns to normal over time. Constipation may sometimes occur as a side effect of pain treatment. To avoid constipation, take Milk of Magnesia (2 tablespoons twice a day) when using painkillers.
Some individuals report that their hernia "returns" shortly after surgery. Don't be concerned; this is a normal feeling and/or appearance. The hernia repair was successful; nevertheless, the area where the hernia contents were can occasionally fill up with postoperative fluid. This fluid is a natural side effect of surgery and is usually removed by the body within a few weeks.
Your scrotum may be slightly enlarged or painful. Ice packs can be used in conjunction with oral pain medications to provide relief. This is normal and will go away with time.
Please contact your surgeon's office if any of the following occur:
A fever of 100.4 or higher
Shaking chills
Pain that intensifies with time;
Redness, warmth, or pus leaking from the incision site
Persistent nausea or difficulty to consume liquids