"The after care & post op advice needs to..."

What I liked

Most of the nursing staff were friendly, helpful & caring.

On the day of my operation i was nervous but having a private room helped me to relax alot.

The reception staff are polite.

Information & leaflet given about the operation itself was good.

The food was very tasty & healthy & there was a good selection.

The operation was a success & the scarring is minimal.

What could be improved

The after care was very poor.

Not enough advice was given about post op recovery, for example :

- how long to expect the recovery to be & when to be able to return to work,

- type of stitches & if they need to be removed or if they dissolve & how long it will take,

- if & when to remove &/or change dressings & if its ok to shower & get the wound /dressing wet,

- how long to wear the compression socks for post op, how to reduce risk of clots,

- how much & what type of exercise is appropriate to aid recovery & reduce risk of clots,

I had to have a course of anti biotics to treat a post op wound infection.

Anything else?

Appart from the medical advice & after care, i think that future patients would benefit from other more practical advice too.

For example tips on what to do in the days before the op in preparation for when you are unable to do certain things while recovering.

Advice about wearing loose fitting clothing that wont rub & is easy to put on & off.

Having a pillow for the car journey home & to support the incisions for coughing, sneezing, laughing & sleeping etc during recovery.

& lots of pepermint tea to help get rid of the gas used during the op!!