What to expect in the hospital if you are going to have spine surgery
As a rule, according to the agreement, you should come to the hospital a day or a few hours before, depending on the type and complexity of the operation.
If you are coming to the hospital on the day of spine surgery, leave early and do not be late for the appointment. Anticipate possible traffic jams and time to find a free parking space.
It is recommended that you take someone with you who will help you carry and unpack the things you bring to the hospital. How many days you will be in the hospital depends on the type and complexity of your operation and the assessment of your surgeon.
Prepare questions for your doctor and ask him everything you want to know about the operation and recovery after the back operation. Write down the answers and instructions because chances are you will forget most of the things the doctor told you in a few days.
After you get to the room, unpack yourself or with the help of the person who will eventually take you to the hospital. Place things that you will use after the surgery, for example, a cell phone, headphones or a book, on the cabinet next to the bed so that everything is within reach without having to get up, because you will not be able to get up, nor should you.
The doctor and nurse will give you instructions on the next steps to prepare for the upcoming surgery.
In most cases, the day before surgery, you will receive an injection of anti-clotting medicine into your arm or abdomen.
As a rule, the night before the operation, you will be given a pill to calm and relax so that you get a good night's sleep and are rested and ready for the upcoming operation.
On the day of spinal surgery
On the day of surgery, you should follow certain rules regarding limiting food and liquid intake. These rules apply both to hospital patients and to patients who come for surgery from home. Its purpose is not to starve patients, but to ensure that anesthesia is performed as safely as possible. If you have a full stomach, during induction of anesthesia, vomiting of stomach contents may occur that enters the lungs and causes severe pneumonia, often with a fatal outcome.
If you accidentally ate or drank something before the operation, be sure to tell your anesthesiologist! Do not accidentally withhold this information from your doctor. It is better to postpone the operation for a short time than to let something bad happen to you.
If you are taking any medications, be sure to check with your doctor which medications you are allowed to take before surgery.
On the morning of the surgery, depending on whether you are having cervical or lumbar spine surgery, it may be necessary to shave the surgical site. After that, the nurse will ask you to take an aseptic shower and put on a hospital gown. In addition, you should remove contact lenses, dentures, wigs, hairpins and jewelry.
Half an hour to one hour before the operation, you will receive a tablet or an injection that will prepare you for anesthesia and the operation, so you will feel relaxed and sleepy. Empty your bladder before the nurses take you to the operating room.
The anesthesiologist will ask you a few questions and give you general anesthesia. You will also be given antibiotics during and after surgery to reduce the risk of infection.
The operation can last several hours. This time frame includes preparation time, setup and anesthesia time.
After the operation, you will wake up in the anesthesia recovery room. There, the medical staff will monitor your vital signs:
- heart rate
- blood pressure
- temperature
- breathing
- circulation
- the movement of your fingers and toes.
The medical staff will transfer you to the ward room when your medical condition no longer requires intensive monitoring and treatment. This usually means that you are breathing satisfactorily, you have good blood pressure, the heart and kidneys work without problems, the control laboratory results are within acceptable limits and you have no significant pain.
The decision to move to a room is made by your doctor.
After leaving the anesthesia recovery room for your room, you will be in bed all day, and the first time you get out of bed should usually be the day after surgery if all goes well.
When you will be able to drink water or eat again, the medical staff will tell you after the doctor approves.
During the day after surgery, the doctor and medical staff will monitor your post-operative state of health and prescribe further therapy for pain control.
Again, ask the doctor and medical staff everything you are interested in regarding your condition and recovery.
Helpful tips for the day after spinal surgery
As a rule, the day after the operation, if the doctor judges that everything is fine with your condition, the medical staff will show you and help you get out of bed and encourage you to take a few steps around the room.
It won't be easy for you, at least it wasn't for me. It is possible that you will feel dizzy and tired just taking those few steps. This is completely normal and do not be alarmed. After a few days, this feeling of dizziness and weakness will decrease, and the walking time should be increased little by little every day based on the agreed walking program.
In MySpine, an application that I developed based on personal experiences and in collaboration with doctors, you have defined goals for the daily number of steps and daily walking training, depending on whether you have had the cervical or lumbar part of the spine surgery, and how much time has passed since your operation. In this way, you can know approximately how much you should walk per day for the best possible recovery.
Adjust daily walking goals to your capabilities. Do not overdo it, because you will have severe pain for the next few days, and it is also possible to cause unnecessary problems with the operated part of the spine.
Bending, rotating the waist and neck, and lifting objects heavier than 2 kg are prohibited, that is, avoid any strain on the spine. The best and healthiest activity you can do now is walking.
Leaving the hospital
You are discharged from the hospital when the doctor assesses that everything is fine and that you are ready for further recovery at home. This usually happens 2-3 days after the operation.
One of the things that depends on whether you are ready to leave the hospital is having a bowel movement. Before leaving the hospital, doctors should make sure that everything is fine with the digestive system. If necessary, doctors will prescribe a laxative.
After the doctor has determined that everything is fine and that you are ready to go home, ask a family member or friend to pick you up at the hospital to help you pack your things and carry them to the car. Do not pack and carry things by yourself!
Do not forget to take all your belongings and medical records.
We wish you a fast and successful recovery!
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