1.  Pain - Some pain is normal after surgery. Different people have different levels of sensitivity to pain. In general, you should experience a little less pain every day. Pain is usually worse in the evening when you are trying to go to sleep. Do not be afraid to take the pain medicine prescribed for you, particularly before you go to sleep, but you can stop taking it if you are comfortable. Most pain medications cause constipation and they can also cause drowsiness. Do not drive or operate power tools after you take narcotic pain medications. If you have only mild discomfort, try taking extra-strength Tylenol® as directed.

 2.  Wound Care - Do not remove your dressing. It will be removed at your first post-operative visit. Do not be concerned if you see a small amount of blood on the dressing. That is normal. If the dressing does fall off, do not be concerned. It does not need to be replaced. You can shower and bathe and you can (and should) wash right over the dressing with soap and water. You should not use any creams or ointments (such as Neosporin) on the incision until after your first post-operative visit.

 3.  Activities - There are no specific restrictions after surgery. You should spend most of your day out of bed. You can resume all of your normal activities including sports and physical labor. You can resume most of your normal activities right away. Please talk to your surgeon about when to resume sports and heavy lifting

 4.  Diet - You can resume your usual diet including any dietary restrictions that you were on before surgery.

 5.  Medications - You should resume taking all of your usual medications as soon as you return home, except for medications that could cause bleeding such as aspirin, Plavix, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like Advil. You should wait 3 days before resuming these medications. If you were taking Coumadin before your surgery, this can be resumed immediately. Most patients do not need to take antibiotics.

 6.  Follow-up -

For Dr. Pachter Please call 212-263-7302 immediately to schedule your first post operative appointment.

For Dr. Ogilvie Please call 212-263-7710 immediately to schedule your first post operative appointment.