Post-Op Care After Laser Prostate Surgery Is a Little Different

You know that taking care of yourself after a surgery entails following instructions, watching what you eat, resting, looking for signs of infection, and so on. With prostate surgery, there are a few more requirements. They're easy to handle, but you should be aware of them so that your recovery goes very well. Plus, these help you gauge how your recovery is going. If you have trouble with them, if pain persists, or if you just continue to feel unable to do much as the post-op days go by, those are all signs to call your doctor.

Walk, Walk, Walk

You don't have to start marching around the block right after your surgery. However, you need to get up and walk occasionally, even if slowly, starting the day of your surgery. A nurse or aide can help you walk down the hallway in the hospital, for example. When you're at home, walk around the yard for a bit several times a day. Don't put yourself in a painful situation, but don't be deterred by simple and minor post-op discomfort, which should start to get better anyway within a very short time. Contact your doctor if you feel like walking is too painful.

Walking helps your circulation and helps prevent blood clots. You should rest after the surgery in general and not try to resume regular daily activity for at least a week and a half. But resting the entire time won't do you any favours. Ask your doctor how far you need to walk each time. From your bedroom to the kitchen for a snack is nice but not nearly enough, so you need some guidelines from your medical team.

The Incentive Spirometer

You may be given something called an incentive spirometer. This is essentially a breath-measurement gadget that you exhale into. Your breath causes a level or ball to rise in a tube, giving you an idea of how strongly you're able to exhale. You'll either get a target range for where the level or ball should be when you exhale, or there will be a separate range printed on the spirometer itself. The point of this gadget is to help expand your lungs and help you avoid secondary infections like pneumonia. Even though the surgery you had is nowhere near your lungs, hospital-acquired pneumonia is a risk for anyone staying in the hospital. The spirometer is one way to avoid this problem.

Drink Water

You'll be given instructions for drinking a certain amount of water daily. It's essential that you follow this to keep your bladder and related structures working well. The amount you have to drink will change as things like catheters are removed; be sure to double-check with the doctor if it's acceptable to increase the amount you drink if you feel thirsty.

Stay in touch with your doctor and show up for any follow-up appointments. Recovery time will go faster than you realise. For more information about recovering from laser prostate surgery, contact a local doctor.


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