Post-Surgery Warning Signs That You Won’t Want To Ignore

Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash

This post may contain affiliate links. Read full disclosure here.

The lead-up to any surgery can feel a lot like running a marathon and can prove so draining that we’re left wanting to completely forget those thoughts of surgery once the ordeal is behind us.

Luckily, as long as you stick to recommendations like bed rest, pain medication, and proper wound care, the chances are that you’ll be able to do precisely that. For some patients, however, surgery isn’t so easily left behind.

Either due to infection or medical negligence like contamination that could benefit from the handling of a medical malpractice lawyer, recovery isn’t always the smooth journey that we hope it will be. In fact, issues of this nature could end up proving fatal or even requiring additional operations.

To ensure that life-saving precautions are taken before such issues escalate, it’s therefore vital to look for the following warning signs during your post-surgery period.

Sign 1: Fever

The toll that surgery takes on your body means that mild postoperative fevers of between 99-101°F are typically nothing to worry about. However, if your post-op fever spikes above 102.2°F, or if a fever develops a few days after surgery, then it’s possibly a sign either of infection or that your body is having some kind of stress-response.

In each instance, this can be incredibly serious unless you alert a member of your medical team immediately, who will then be able to prescribe antibiotics to address the issue.

Sign 2: Bloating

Bloating after surgery also isn’t unusual, as is most often a normal response that can take as long as 2-3 weeks to reduce. However, it is also important to note that a lack of movement after surgery can lead to a bloating condition known as paralytic ileus.

Equally, excessive bloating can be a sign that things aren’t as they should be below the surface, and can occur due to internal infection or something having been left in during surgery. Generally speaking, you should especially seek help for post-op bloating if the issue is consistent for a month or more, you’ve noticed blood in your stools, or you’re experiencing significant discomfort.

Sign 3: Delayed recovery

While recovery will inevitably depend on the operation you’ve undergone and the extent of the incisions you’ve been left with, a delayed recovery that exceeds what you would typically expect for your operation can also be a sign of problems such as infection.

It’s especially worth speaking to your doctor if your recovery is ongoing past the point they said that you should be back to normal functioning, or if you’ve noticed that your wound is either staying the same or seeming to get worse with time when you’d ideally expect it to be healing.

Surgery is a major life event, and it can be a significant source of stress that you logically want to put behind you. However, you can bet that it’ll become a whole lot more stressful, even in the aftermath, if you don’t keep a close eye out for these post-surgery warnings.

*This article is based on personal suggestions and/or experiences and is for informational purposes only. This should not be used as professional advice. Please consult a professional where applicable.