Top Tips for Recovery Post Surgery

We’ve had a lot of questions recently from patients who would like to know how to optimise their road to recovery so thought I’d let you have some top tips for you to ensure a safe and speedy recovery.

After surgery you are likely to feel tired even if after a GA as although you have been “put asleep” you are not really asleep.  You should rest and go to bed early after your surgery.  And if you have had surgery on your eyes or face then it is best to sleep with a couple of pillows behind your head to slightly elevate the area and reduce swelling.

You will have had a period of not eating prior to your surgery if you have had a GA and so you will be running low on calories. Your body uses up a lot of calories and protein when it is healing wounds and so it is important for you to get back to eating a healthy diet as soon as possible. It is advisable to have some light meals in and plan ahead and try to get something that will really tempt your appetite but won’t be difficult to digest. (eg soups, yogurts, brown rice, salmon, eggs, mousses)

In general a well-balanced healthy diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables will provide all the nutrients that are required for you to recover from your surgery but if you wish to take extra supplements then Vitamins A and C and Zinc all help to promote wound healing.

Vitamin A is high in dark green leafy vegetables, liver, oranges and yellow vegetables.

Vitamin C is high in citrus fruits, strawberries, tomatoes, spinach and broccoli.

Foods rich in protein help repair skin, tissues and muscle and they include meat, beans, eggs, milk, tofu and nuts.

Foods rich in zinc can be found in fortified cereals, red meat and seafood.

It is important that you do not just lie in bed after your surgery as blood clots are a risk. The best prevention is walking so you should aim to do about 5 mins of walking in every hour except when asleep (unless you sleep walk!)  This helps to pump the blood around the body by activating the calf muscles and generally promoting good circulation as well as getting your lungs to open up as there can be some pooled secretions in the lungs particularly if your surgery took longer than a couple of hours.