Nikki Sommer, a nurse with the Key West Surgical Group, joined Good Morning Keys on KeysTalk 96.9/102.5FM this morning for Medical Matters.
There is a lot to consider if you need to travel after you’ve had surgery.
Sommer said, “Knee repairs, gallbladder removals, if you had an emergency appendectomy, or even, like a really big surgery, like a colon resection, those are the common procedures that Doctor Smith does. So they still require healing time and traveling too soon can increase your risk of complications.”
You shouldn’t travel within the first seven days unless you’re cleared to do so.
Sommer said, “A lot of times, patients come in and they don’t disclose that they have a trip planned, literally, right after they have surgery. So they kind of like hop in the car or on a plane a day or two afterwards, if you have abdominal surgery, you’re at an increased risk for deep vein thrombosis, also known as a pulmonary embolism, because you’re flying, if you’re flying or you’re sitting for long periods of time and you do that too soon, it can be dangerous. Keep in mind, blood clots can occur four to six weeks after surgery as well.”
Lifting luggage can be a bad idea after any kind of abdominal surgery.
Sommer said, “Hernia and colon surgery, that’s your abdomen, is your core, so lifting too early can cause tearing or even a hernia recurrence, so no more than 10 pounds, up to six weeks post surgery. That also means it’s not just lifting, like don’t really stretch over your head. If you’re getting on a plane, you don’t want to lift a suitcase and put it in the overhead compartment, even if it’s a light bag, you just you need to be wary of your mechanics when you’re traveling and have help if you’re going to travel.”
Don’t ignore pain, swelling or fever before a trip.
Sommer said, “These could be signs of infection or internal bleeding. If anything feels off, delay your travel and call the doctor immediately. A lot of times, too, with hernia repairs, they get that little, it almost feels like you have a hernia. There’s like a little sack of fluid that forms, which is a common thing to occur after surgery and if you’re going to travel or lift, sometimes they can become infected, or they can become really big and need to be drained. So you don’t want to be traveling and have that occur.”
Follow up appointments are also really important.
Sommer said, “If you’re tempting to leave town once you feel okay and the wound looks fine, it’s important that you come in and let us examine you to make sure everything is healing correctly. I can’t tell you how many times people are like, I don’t need to come in. Do I really need to come in? I’m good.”
There can also be side effects of surgery.
Sommer said, “A lot of people don’t realize when you’re on narcotic pain medication, you really shouldn’t be driving or operating any type of heavy machinery. That means driving a car or a boat or an RV, and sometimes when you take them, you don’t realize you’re impaired until something happens. So if you took a pain pill, say, and you drove, and you’re not used to taking them, and you get pulled over, you can get in big trouble, so you don’t drive under the influence of narcotic pain meds.”
Don’t cancel surgery to keep your vacation plans. Your health is more important.
Sommer said, “I feel like people push things off to the summer because they know it’s a more of a time to relax, and that’s when they can get their vacation time. But then they get torn between trying to have surgery and plan a vacation at the same time. So depending on what type of surgery you’re postponing, especially if it’s a gallbladder or a hernia, you can go away, and then it can become an emergency, and then it’s a problem. We have had people end up on our service because they’ve come down for vacation and they knew they had gallbladder disease and they thought they’d be okay. When you’re on vacation, you tend to not watch your diet, and watch what you eat, and you end up having a gallbladder attack, and then it may be an emergency. So it’s not a good idea.”
What can you do after surgery related to travel?
Sommer said, “Let you let your surgeon know, or Doctor Smith know, what your vacation plans are if it is going to be right after surgery, if there’s a reason and it can’t be avoided, it’s a family kind of emergency, or it’s something you can’t put off, communication is the key to successful recovery, so just being upfront and honest can help make your recovery successful.”
Compression socks for long drives or flights can help.
Sommer said, “People hate these, including myself. I should wear them, because I stand on my feet all the time. But after surgery, the compression socks can help reduce the risk of a deep vein thrombosis that can occur, and again, especially after abdominal. The bigger the surgery, the more that’s going on, you’re at risk for that to happen.”
Moving around and hydration is important.
Sommer said, “It’s better to drink water and skip the alcohol and caffeine after surgery, especially if you’re going to travel, because this helps with the circulation, digestion and with wound healing.”
Make sure you have everything related to post op care and a medical summary is part of those medical supplies.
Sommer said, “It’s important to bring, like, a brief history, a list of your medications. Make sure you remember your medications, because those are the things that often after surgery, you’re not feeling yourself. So if you leave everything to last minute, people tend to forget things, and it happens quite often. We get phone calls they left their medications. They don’t have supplies, especially after a big colon surgery, sometimes people need to have a colostomy bag and they’ll leave town and they forgot their colostomy supplies. So then you’re left scrambling, trying to find your supplies, trying to make sure you got everything.”
What are the recovery suggestions for hernia repairs?
Sommer said, “Avoid flying or lifting for at least seven to 10 days. That would be ideal. The bigger hernias that require mesh replacement, they may require a longer period before you can travel. So again, communicating your travel plans with the doctor is important.”
Colon resection is a little bit of a bigger deal.
Sommer said, “It’s major. It’s a two to three week minimum and it may take you two to three weeks for your bowels to come back to working properly. It depends. Again, if you need a colostomy, or they were able just to remove your colon and put it back together, that is a slow healing process. So that definitely requires a longer recovery time before you travel.”
What’s the moral of this story?
Sommer said, “Don’t put surgery off because of a vacation, and don’t travel before your body is ready. Complications from rushing recovery can lead you into the ER, miles away from home and nobody wants that. It becomes more of a hindrance, and it ruins the vacation, and it costs a lot of money to go on vacation, and then complications cost a lot more as well.”
For more information, click here: https://www.keywestsurgicalgroup.com/