Laparoscopic Hernia Repair
Post-Operative Instructions
You have just undergone a laparoscopic hernia repair. Although it has been done as an outpatient, it is major surgical procedure, which can produce some problems. One can have a substantial amount of discomfort after this surgery. To decrease the intensity of the discomfort, a local anesthetic (Marcaine) was placed in the surgical sites. This medication will last 4 to 6 hours.
After this wears off, you will begin to have some discomfort over the areas around the bellybutton and on both sides. When you begin having discomfort, you should take the pain pills (Vicodin) which have been prescribed. You can take 1 or 2 of these at a time. These can be repeated every 4 hours as needed. The pain is most severe for the first 24 to 48 hours, after which it should gradually diminish. The maximum number of Vicodin to be taken is 8 pills per 24 hours.
Pain pills, as well as the relative inactivity from having surgery, can cause constipation. To prevent this, take one tablespoon of Metamucil once or twice per day. This could be supplemented with milk of magnesia, 1 to 2 tablespoons per day if the problem persists.
Small plastic dressings have been placed over the 3 incision sites. This plastic dressing has been used so that you can take a shower early. If you are not having any significant disomfort, you may take a shower on the first postoperative day. The dressings should be left in place for 2 days (48 hours). Remove the transparent dressing and white gauze after 2 days. Leave the steri-strips (butterfly bandages), which are under the gauze, in place until your next appointment.
Men may notice some black and blue discoloration in the area of the scrotum. Sometimes there is a substantial amount of swelling that occurs in the scrotum. The amount of swelling depends upon the size of the hernia, as well as the difficulty of the operation.
After the operation you may resume a normal diet. However, some people have some nausea after the operation. For this reason, we have recommended that you eat lightly for the first few hours after surgery. Whenever your appetite increases, you can incease your diet accordingly.
You should resume all of your medications that you have been taking prior to surgery. In addition, Vicodin has been ordered for pain control. If pain is not relieved with these medications, please give me a call.
Again, although hernia repair is an outpatient procedure, it is a significant operation with potential complications. If you have any questions concerning the surgery or you have any unexpected symptoms, please give me a call. You should also call the office for an appointment for next week (if you have not already made one). The number is (925) 830-0852.
