Recovery After Hernia Surgery: What You Need to Know to Help Your Elderly Loved One
There are over 300,000 hernia surgeries done every single year throughout the United States. With the millions of cases that have been done since hernia surgeries were first performed, there are many patients with success stories. From those and from the information that doctors and other medical professionals know, there is some recovery advice that your elderly loved one might need if they are getting this type of surgery.
Tips for Recovery After Hernia Surgery
Before your elderly loved one can go home after their surgery, they need someone to drive them. They will have received anesthesia during the surgery and pain medications, as well. They can’t be driving themselves home. Even if they feel fine, it would be too much of a risk to have them drive. Home care providers can help out with transportation. Your elderly loved one will probably feel okay to drive about 2 weeks after their surgery.
It is important that your elderly loved one eats healthy foods following their hernia surgery. They need to pay attention to what they are eating for the first 3 weeks after they get surgery. If they aren’t eating healthy, they could become constipated. Constipation can be tough on the body following surgery due to the straining involved. Your elderly loved one might be advised to take stool softeners for the first few days after their surgery. They should also have more fiber in their diet than usual to help them have easier bowel movements. Home care providers can assist with meal preparation.
Your elderly loved one might also need someone to help them change their bandages and keep them clean. If you can’t be there to do this, you can hire home health care providers to assist your elderly loved one during their recovery. If these dressings aren’t properly changed, your elderly loved one could end up with an infection.
Natural Healing is Needed
It is important that your elderly loved one understands that they need to let the healing process happen naturally. They can’t rush things along. Your elderly loved one will need to rest as much as possible and keep stress out of their life during their recovery. They should try to avoid coughing or sneezing for the first few days after their surgery.
Your elderly loved one should stay in their bed or resting for the first 2 to 3 days following their hernia surgery. After those first few days, they can get up and do light activity. Moving around often, but easily, can help the healing process to speed up a little. Remind your elderly loved one not to lift heavy objects during their recovery.
Time Frame for Hernia Surgery Recovery
The recovery time for everyone after hernia surgery is different. There are various factors such as the patient’s health, incision site, and type of surgery that will affect the recovery time. If your elderly loved one has laparoscopic surgery, the healing time will be quicker than if they had open surgery. Usually, patients are healed within 3 weeks after surgery.
If your elderly loved one is having hernia surgery, be sure they talk to their doctor ahead of time, so they know exactly what to expect in their case.
Sources: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9240142/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3851200/
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamasurgery/fullarticle/1828521
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