Patient Care Unit - After Surgery Care
Purpose of this area
Your care after surgery will be provided to you on a Patient Care Unit. The main purpose of the Patient Care Unit is to provide ongoing care and monitoring for patients who require a stay in the hospital longer than 24 hours. Planning for your discharge from hospital will also continue here.
Just like in other areas, there are many different people that you will meet here. Do not hesitate to ask people for their name and what they do.
What Happens to Me
When you are brought from the recovery room to the Patient Care Unit you will be 
transferred from the stretcher to your bed, if you have not been put on a bed already. You may feel very tired from the anesthetic used during surgery. Please check with the nurses before getting up. Often you will have oxygen tubing placed in your nose and an IV in your arm. You may have a dressing over your surgical site and possibly some type of drainage tube. Sometimes stockings are on your legs to help with blood circulation. Some patients also have a catheter in place to drain the bladder.
Staff will come in to your room frequently to check your blood pressure, temperature and other vital signs. They will also examine your surgical site, and check how you are feeling. This is a good time to discuss any symptoms /questions you may have. Your surgeon, as well as resident doctors, will follow your care throughout your stay and participate in the planning of your care.
Pain medication may be given by pills, through an IV or by needle if needed. Please let your nurse know if you are having pain or if you have concerns about taking pain medication. Pain management is a very important part of your recovery. It is important that you are comfortable enough so that you can get up and walk, change position in bed and do your deep breathing and coughing exercises. These things will help speed your recovery and help to prevent complications such as pneumonia and blood clots.
Some people experience nausea after surgery. This is a common side effect of anesthetic and some pain medications. It is important to let the nurse know if you feel this way. Medication can be given to help relieve it. Some people are hungry because they have not eaten for many hours. After surgery, many people are not allowed to eat right away. The bowels often take a longer time to start working after anesthetic than the rest of the body. Eating solid food before your body is ready can cause problems. Your doctor will decide how soon you can eat or drink and advance your diet based on your condition.
Sometimes special treatments or other equipment may be used in your care. If you have any special equipment or precautions that need to be followed, this information will be explained to you. Please ask if you have any questions/concerns.
As you recover your pain will subside and you will become more independent. The length of stay in the hospital varies depending on the procedure you have had done and how well you recover. Usually, patients are sent home when they can tolerate solid food, are passing gas, wounds are on their way to healing, patients are able to move independently and pain can be managed with pills. Your doctors and nurses may be able to give you some idea as to how long your stay will be.
You and your loved ones are encouraged to be active participants in your care and ask questions at any point. Please advise your care team if you have concerns about your discharge and/or your ability to manage at home. Unit staff have access to many other important services to help you if needed. Please ask about activities that may require help so planning can happen before the day you go home. It is helpful to have somebody to assist you when you go home. If you have forms for work or other reasons that should be completed, please advise staff as soon as you are able.
Links
- Pain and Symptom Management After Surgery
- Coughing, Deep Breathing and Moving After Surgery
