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What can I expect immediately post-op?

ravelling

ravelling

Grateful bypasser
I know they'll let me know when I get to hospital, but I cope with thingsmuch better if I prepare myself with information well ahead of time.

I'm having RNY at Sunderland. Can anyone give me an idea of what to expect in terms of medical 'bits and bobs and tubes' in the first post op period?

Will I have a catheter? Naso-gastric tube? Drip?

Thanks in advance for any info!
 
Hi hun,

When I came round from the op I had a catheter and a drip for IV fluids plus morphine. No Naso-gastric tube, and i havent heard of anyone else having a tube either.
 
Hi
I do think all hospital vary, but I only had a drip in after surgery, nothing else & they like to get you out of bed a mobilised as soon as possible.
 
I was fully awake 4 hours after my surgery. I had requested that I wasn't catheterised. So I had a drip which stayed in for 2 days, I was connected to the morphine machine and given a button. I had a drain in my left side and a bag of blood that had drained from it. I was connected to the heart/pulse/blood pressure machine. And I was wearing an oxygen mask, which I am sure was the reason I woke early. This was in the HDU by the way. I mobilised to the commode quite early and did a blue wee, which was surreal. Could not sleep in there. Felt dizzy because of the anaethetic. I was given anti nauseas which did help.
 
Hi Gill

I'm pre-op myself so can't comment but there are a few girls on the forum who have gone through Sunderland so I'm sure somebody will pop along soon to advise you xx
 
I was awake 3 and a half hours after being put to sleep, I had an IV Drip and Morphine (Which I didn't use much), I had very little pain, just discomfort. and I also had a blood drain from my stomach into a bag, which I kept forgetting about. and I was discharged after 3 days in hospital, and back to work 2 weeks after that. :)
 
I was in over night and had 2 drips one for liquids and one for morphine. They took the morphine out after a few hours. They want you walking about to get any trapped wind moving. The wind is THE WORST! But well worth it ;)
 
salski said:
I was in over night and had 2 drips one for liquids and one for morphine. They took the morphine out after a few hours. They want you walking about to get any trapped wind moving. The wind is THE WORST! But well worth it ;)
Click to expand...
Oh yeah, I forgot about trapped Gas, that is a bit of a *****, but doesn't last to long.
 
My experiences seem to be a bit different but I suppose they differ from hospital to hospital and person to person.

I vaguely remember waking up and the first thing I asked for was painkillers. I was in a lot of discomfort. I had a naso gastric tube in for 12 hours. I had a catheter in for around a day and a half, the same with both drips I had in my hands and the oxygen mask. I think the surgeon had leaned against my lower stomach because that was very bruised (photo included in my photo album) and recovering that was the worst in terms of pain really. I had my op around 6pm and after spending the night in HDU they got me up the morning after for a small walk, bed bath and putting on fresh pj's.
 
I had my bypass at Sunderland 4 weeks ago.
I have a memory of been woken up in recovery but then went straight back to sleep. Woke up on the ward a little later with just the oxygen mask and an IV drip for fluids and morphine.(no patient controlled pan relief, but i wasn't in much pain anyway) The morphine was quickly changed for IV paracetamol.
They will have you up to the loo quite soon after surgery to get you mobile and they coerced me into getting out of bed and sat in my chair on the first evening.
The only annoying thing is that when in bed they strap your legs into the compression thingys (don't know correct term !) they wrap round each leg and inflate and deflate to aid circulation and prevent thrombosis. I had to ask for a nurse to remove them each time i needed the loo and then press the button when i got back into bed to ask them to put them back on. (due to fluid drip i was up to the loo every 3 hours)
Through the night the trapped wind pains started. I was struggling to breath and my sats dropped so at 6am they gave me half a shot of morphine (i asked them not to give me a full shot as i was anxious about it making me sick) and put me back on oxygen for a few hours and that did the trick.
Later that morning all drips were removed and i was given paracetamol and codeine tablets and told to start drinking water as there would be no more IV fluids. For the rest of the day i just snoozed on and off and walked around the ward with my visitors to get some exercise.
 
I woke up about three hours after being put under, with oxygen mask, IV line, not catheter though. I was kept in recovery for a longer amount of time due to having tachycardia, and then was sent to the HDU unit. They changed my oxygen mask to a nasal cannula, added a blood pressure wrap around my arm, and the crazy blow up leg booties.

I had the drip in till the next day in the afternoon, and they kept the IV in for anti sickness and paracetamol (I was begging to have it out by the end, I have very small veins and it hurt). They tried to have me use the bed pan at first, but I couldn't get my bladder to relax enough to go, so they gave in and let me use the commode, which I used by myself just for the first night, by the morning I was allowed to use the toilet as normal (thank goodness!).

I didn't have a morphine drip due to the tachycardia, but my nurse took pity on me when I couldn't sleep on the first night due to back pain and insomnia (yep, my insomnia played up right after surgery, I only slept for a couple of hours each night I was in) and injected some morphine. That was a relief. Luckily my pain mostly came from my back laying in the position that was comfortable for my belly - my stomach didn't hurt at all really, just felt very odd.
 
I was awake quickly too and had only a drip, my button controlled morphine (which i never used) and my oxygen mask for the 1st few hours. I too was encouraged to get up and moving early and had a wash and into my own jammies three hours after surgery it was so nice to get out of that lovely gown!! xx
 
Good post and very helpful xx
 
I just had a drip and a few tubes coming out of my hand for medicine and the drip, but apart from that nothing else. I was back in the ward around noon and was told I would be getting up at four but at half three I got up and went to the loo.
 
A big 'Thank you!' to everyone who has shared their experiences here!
It's so good to know more or less exactly everything that happens immediately afterwards.
I know everyone recovers differently, but the process is very similar.

I feel less stressed by knowing.
 
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