Patients not requiring care at home
Behaviour at home after an operation depends very much on the procedure. Nevertheless, there are some general basic rules of personal hygiene or wound care to be observed. Instructions on behavior are often provided by the wards in written form as leaflets for the patients and are also explained directly by the nursing staff or doctors.
Depending on the patient’s mobility, personal hygiene can usually be resumed in hospital. Only showers or baths usually have to be avoided for a few days or weeks.After smaller operations, showering is usually allowed again after a few days, larger operations require a waiver for several weeks and depend on the success of the wound healing. However, partial washing with omission of the operating area is usually always possible.
When a dressing may be removed and how often it must be changed is usually strictly prescribed by the doctor. When changing the dressing, the wound should always be looked at briefly. If pus appears or the wound is extremely reddened, swollen and sensitive to pain, this can be an indication of germs that have penetrated and a doctor should be consulted.
When the stitches are removed varies greatly depending on the physical region, the time is usually determined by the doctor. In order to promote the aesthetically pleasing scar formation, and to obtain a scar that is later as inconspicuous and not discolored as possible, direct sunlight should be avoided on the scar for 3-6 months. If an affected person takes medication regularly, a doctor should be consulted about when to take it again if it has been discontinued over the course of the operation. Special care should be taken with blood-thinning medications, as these can promote secondary bleeding.
