Minimally Invasive Hysterectomy
How to care for yourself at home.
In this video you will learn how to care
for your incisions,
how to manage your pain, what you can do
to recover safely,
your follow-up appointments and when to
get help.
Plan to have someone stay with you for
the first 24 hours
after surgery in case of an emergency
within 24 to 72 hours of your surgery.
the clinical nurse specialist or another
member of your healthcare team
will call to check on you. This is a good
time to have the nurse answer any
questions you may have.
You will continue to recover at home
over the next two to four weeks.
How to care for your incisions or
surgical cuts.
The cuts made during surgery are usually
closed with stitches
and steri-strips. Steri-strips are
sterile pieces of medical tape.
The steri-strips will come off on their
own in about seven days.
You can take the steri-strips off if the
strips begin to fall off on their own
or they are still on after seven days
the stitches under the skin will
dissolve in three to four weeks
and do not need to be removed.
Staples are sometimes used to close cuts.
If you have staples
you will need to have your family doctor
remove them in 7 to 14 days.
You will get a staple remover when you
leave the hospital to take to your
doctor's office.
Check your cuts each day look for any
signs of infection
like redness, swelling, pain,
pus leaking from the cuts.
Keep your cuts clean and dry. Gently wash
them with mild soap and water
rinse well and pat dry with a clean
towel.
Do not put creams lotions or powder on
your cuts.
Clean the cut at your belly button every
day after you shower.
Use a moist Q-tip soaked in hydrogen
peroxide to clean this area.
You can buy hydrogen peroxide at most
drugstores.
How to manage your pain.
You will normally get three different
types of pain medicines.
You need to control your pain to be able
to move and walk.
You will heal faster if you can move and
walk about.
If the medicine does not relieve your
pain call the clinical nurse specialist
you may get the following pain medicines.
Naproxen,
Tylenol, Hydromorphone.
Take Naproxen exactly as prescribed you
will get an instruction sheet from your
nurse on how much Naproxen to take
and for how long always take Naproxen
with food to avoid an upset stomach.
Take two extra strength Tylenol tablets
every six hours for 48 hours.
After 48 hours take only as needed.
Do not take more than 4 000 milligrams
of Tylenol in one day.
Take Hydromorphone only if your pain is
not well controlled
with Tylenol and Naproxen. Most patients
do not need to use Hydromorphone after
surgery.
You will get a prescription doctor's
order and instructions on how to take
this medicine.
As you heal you will feel less pain and
will not need pain medicine as often.
You may have some pain in your shoulders
due to the gas that was put into your
belly during surgery.
Walk and move around to help relieve the
pain.
What you can do to recover safely.
There are many things you can do to help
recover safely.
Here are some things to do and some
things to avoid.
You can have a shower the day after
surgery.
Avoid a bath until the cuts are fully
healed.
It usually takes two to three weeks to heal.
Eating and drinking.
Drink six to eight glasses
of fluid a day
unless your doctor gave you other
Instructions. Slowly return to your usual
diet over a few days.
You may find it easier to start with
small meals.
Healthy eating can give you energy and
strength and help you recover.
Choose foods that are low in fat,
cholesterol, and salt.
For more information see Canada's Food Guide.
Go to health Canada's website
and click on food and nutrition then
Canada's Food Guide.
Dealing with constipation. Constipation
is common after surgery.
Constipation is when people have trouble
having a bowel movement or poo.
To avoid constipation drink six to eight
glasses of water a day,
eat foods high in fiber such as fruits
vegetables,
lentils, beans and whole grain breads and
cereals.
Your doctor may suggest a laxative or
stool softener.
Both the laxative and stool softener can
help to prevent straining
when you have a bowel movement or poo.
You can buy these at your local
drugstore.
You can drive after two weeks if you
have no pain and you are no longer
taking strong pain medicines
like hydromorphone. When taking long car
rides stop every two hours and walk
around.
Sitting for a long time increases the
chances of developing a blood clot.
You can go back to your usual activities
when you feel ready.
Start with light activities in the first
week after surgery
such as short walks. Do not exercise for
eight weeks after surgery.
Check with your healthcare team first
before you start to exercise again.
You may get tired easily listen to your
body and do not do more than you can
handle.
If an activity causes discomfort or pain
stop
and rest before you try that activity
again.
Things to avoid to make sure you do not
open the cut in your vagina
avoid the following for six to eight
weeks after surgery.
Heavy lifting high impact sports like
running,
weight training, biking. yoga
vacuuming or pushing a lawnmower.
Do not have sexual intercourse or place
anything in your vagina for eight weeks
after surgery.
To avoid opening up the cut ask your
healthcare team when you can resume
sexual intercourse.
Your follow-up appointments.
If you went home with a catheter in
place you will have a follow-up
appointment in one to three days
to have the catheter removed. You may
have the catheter for longer than three
Days.
if your healthcare team feels you need
it
this appointment will be in the
gynecology oncology clinic
on the 5th floor at Princess Margaret
Cancer Centre.
if your incisions were closed with
staples make an appointment with your
family doctor
to have them removed. You will usually
have the staples removed 7 to 14 days
After surgery.
Follow the instructions from
your healthcare team.
You will have a follow-up appointment
3-4 weeks after your surgery
to check how well you are healing.
When to get help.
Get help if you notice bright red
bleeding from your vagina,
soaking a pad every two hours,
pain that is not relieved by pain
medicine or is getting worse,
uncontrolled nausea feeling like you
need to throw up,
and uncontrolled vomiting cannot control
throwing up,
discharge from your vagina or incisions
that smells bad,
fever a temperature higher than 38 degrees celcius
or 100 degrees fahrenheit
and chills,
redness or increased pain around your
Incision,
constipation trouble having a poo.
If you have questions concerns or need
support call
the clinical nurse specialist for
gynecology oncology
416-340-4800
extension 14-3674 the Gynecology Oncology
resource nurse
at 416-946-4501
extension 3280 if you are calling after
business hours on a weekend or holiday
call the nursing unit on 10ES consolidated
short stay unit
at 416-340-3521
or 416-340-3880.
For more information on your recovery
and other questions you may have
read the pamphlet about preparing for
your surgery and recovery at home
in this video you have learned how to
care for your incisions
how to manage your pain what you can do
to recover safely
your follow-up appointments and when to
get help.