POST OPERATIVECARE – OUTPATIENT SURGERY
VERY IMPORTANT: If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact us. Call the office at (310) 777- 8880, day or night.
YOUR FIRST 24 HOURS:
If you are going home, a family member or friend must drive you because you have been sedated. Someone should stay overnight with you. If you choose to go to a postoperative center, they will provide transportation. If you have any questions about these matters, please ask one of our nursing staff.
DRESSINGS: Keep your dressings as clean and dry as possible. Do not remove them unless instructed to do so.
ACTIVITY: Take it easy and pamper yourself. Try to avoid any straining. You may go to the bathroom, sit and watch TV, etc., but NO MATTER HOW GOOD YOU FEEL, DO NOT CLEAN THE HOUSE, REARRANGE THE ATTIC, ETC.! Any activity that increases your blood pressure should be avoided. Avoid stretching incisions (rubbing face and eyes, sleeping on incisions, etc.)
SHOWERS: You may shower after 2 days (using warm, not HOT water) avoiding direct spray of water on the face or around the incisions for one week.
ICE PACKS: The use of cold or ice packs in the first 48 hours after your surgery helps to reduce swelling. Use frozen peas in the package or crush ice cubes and put the ice into a zip-lock bag. This should help, not hurt. If the ice feels too uncomfortable, don't use it as often.
DIET: If you have any postoperative nausea, carbonated sodas and dry crackers may settle the stomach. If you feel normal, start with liquids and bland foods, and if those are well tolerated, progress to a regular diet. Resume a well-balanced diet including protein and high fiber foods.
SMOKING: Smoking reduces capillary flow in your skin. We advise you not to smoke at all during the first 10 days after surgery.
ALCOHOL: Alcohol dilates the blood vessels and could increase postoperative bleeding and swelling. Please do not drink until you have stopped taking the prescription pain pills, as the combination of pain pills and alcohol can be dangerous.
DRIVING: Please don't drive for at least 2 days after general anesthesia or intravenous
sedation or while taking prescription pain pills.
POST OPERATIVE APPOINTMENTS: It is very important that you follow the schedule of appointments we establish after surgery.
LONG TERM POSTOPERATIVE INSTRUCTIONS
ACTIVITY/SPORTS: We want you to avoid straining or any aerobic activity for at least 3 weeks after surgery. This is to avoid bleeding, bruising, and swelling. Do not resume strenuous exercise for 4 to 6 weeks. Dr. Parsa will give you clearance to increase your activities according to the progress of your recovery.
DRIVING: You may resume driving when you feel you are able, but wait at least 2 days
after surgery. Keep in mind that you must have full use of your reflexes. If pain will inhibit them, don't drive!
SEXUAL ACTIVITY: You may enjoy sexual activity as your body allows with the following restriction: please reread Activity/Sports above and apply the same concept to sex.
SUN EXPOSURE: If fresh scars are exposed to the sun, they will become darker and take longer to fade. Sunscreen can help. Take extra care and precautions if the area operated on is slightly numb -- you might not "feel" a sunburn developing!
WORK: Follow whatever plan you and Dr. Parsa have agreed upon.
Medications to Avoid Before and After Surgery
If you are taking any medications on this list, they should be discontinued 10-14 days prior to surgery and only Tylenol should be taken for pain. All other medications that you are currently taking must be specifically cleared by your doctor prior to surgery. It is absolutely necessary that all of your current medications be specifically cleared by your doctor and the nursing staff.
Aspirin Medications to Avoid
4-Way Cold Tabs 5-Aminosalicylic Acid Acetilsalicylic Acid
Adprin-B products Alka-Seltzer products Amigesic
Anacin products Anexsia w/Codine Argesic-SA
Arthra-G Arthriten products Arthritis Foundation products
Arthritis Pain Formula Arthritis Strength BC Powder Arthropan
ASA Asacol Ascriptin products
Aspergum Asprimox products Axotal
Azdone Azulfidine products B-A-C
Backache Max. Strength Relief Bayer Products BC Powder
Bismatrol products Buffered Aspirin Bufferin products
Buffetts 11 Buffex Butal/ASA/Caff
Butalbital Compound Cama Arthritis Pain Reliever Carisoprodol Compound
Cheracol Choline Magnesium Trisalicylate Choline Salicylate
Cope Coricidin Cortisone Medications
Damason-P Darvon Compound-65 Darvon/ASA
Dipentum Disalcid Doan's products
Dolobid Dristan Duragesic
Easprin Ecotrin products Empirin products
Equagesic Excedrin products Fiorgen PF
Fiorinal products Gelpirin Genprin
Gensan Goody's Extra Strength powder Halfprin products
Isollyl Improved Kaodene Lanorinal
Lortab ASA Magan Magnaprin products
Magnesium Salicylate Magsal Marnal
Marthritic Meprobamate Mesalamine
Methocarbamol Micrainin Mobidin
Mobigesic Momentum Mono-Gesic
Night-Time Effervescent Cold Norgesic products Norwich products
Olsalazine Orphengesic products Oxycodone
Pabalate products P-A-C Pain Reliever Tabs
Panasal Pentasa Pepto-Bismol
Percodan products Phenaphen/Codeine #3 Pink Bismuth
Propoxyphene Compound products Robaxisal Rowasa
Roxeprin Saleto products Salflex
Salicylate products Salsalate Salsitab
More Medications to Avoid Before and After Surgery
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Scot-Tussin Original 5-Action Sine-off Sinutab
Sodium Salicylate Sodol Compound Soma Compound
St. Joseph Aspirin Sulfasalazine Supac
Suprax Synalgos-DC Talwin
Triaminicin Tricosal Trilisate
Tussanil DH Tussirex products Ursinus-Inlay
Vanquish Wesprin Willow Bark products
Zorprin
Ibuprofen Medications to Avoid
Actron Acular (opthalmic) Advil products
Aleve Anaprox products Ansaid
Cataflam Clinoril Daypro
Diclofenac Dimetapp Sinus Dristan Sinus
Etodolac Feldene Fenoprofen
Flurbiprofen Genpril Haltran
IBU Ibuprin Ibuprofen
Ibuprohm Indochron E-R Indocin products
Indomethacin products Ketoprofen Ketorolac
Lodine Meclofenamate Meclomen
Mefenamic Acid Menadol Midol products
Motrin products Nabumetone Nalfon products
Naprelan Naprosyn products Naprox X
Naproxen Nuprin Ocufen (opthalmic)
Orudis products Oruvail Oxaprozin
Piroxicam Ponstel Profenal
Relafen Rhinocaps Sine-Aid products
Sulindac Suprofen Tolectin products
Tolmetin Toradol Voltaren
Other Medications to Avoid
4-Way w/ Codeine A.C.A. A-A Compound
Accutrim Actifed Anexsia
Anisindione Anturane Arthritis Bufferin
BC Tablets Childrens Advil Clinoril C
Contac Coumadin Dalteparin injection
Dicumerol Dipyridamole Doxycycline
Emagrin Enoxaparin injection Flagyl
Fragmin injection Furadantin Garlic
Heparin Hydrocortisone Isollyl
Lovenox injection Macrodantin Mellaril
More Medications to Avoid Before and After Surgery
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Miradon Opasal Pan-PAC
Pentoxyfylline Persantine Phenylpropanolamine
Prednisone Protamine Pyrroxate
Ru-Tuss Salatin Sinex
Sofarin Soltice Sparine
Stelazine Sulfinpyrazone Tenuate
Tenuate Dospan Thorazine Ticlid
Ticlopidine Trental Ursinus
Vibramycin Warfarin
Tricyclic Antidepressants Medications to Avoid
Adapin Amitriptyline Amoxapine
Anafranil Asendin Aventyl
Clomipramine Desipramine Doxepin
Elavil Endep Etrafon products
Imipramine Janimine Limbitrol products
Ludiomil Maprotiline Norpramin
Nortriptyline Pamelor Pertofrane
Protriptyline Sinequan Surmontil
Tofranil Triavil Trimipramine
Vivactil
Herbal Medications to Avoid
Fish Oils Ginkgo Biloba Ginseng
St. John's Wort Vitamin E
