Close
Open
Share on Facebook
Twitter
Email
 
Notice: Users may be experiencing issues with displaying some pages on stanfordhealthcare.org. We are working closely with our technical teams to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. Thank you for your patience.
 

Find the latest information on COVID-19, monkeypox, and the flu vaccine

Menu
Search
Menu
Search
  • Doctors, Clinics & Locations, Conditions & Treatments
  • Patients & Visitors
  • MyHealth
  • Billing
  • Insurance
  • Medical Records
  • Support Groups
  • Financial Assistance
  • COVID-19 Resource Center
  • Locations and Parking
  • Visitor Policy
  • Hospital Check-in
  • Video Visits
  • International Patients
  • Contact Us
View All Information for Patients & Visitors »
We are available to assist you 24/7.
650-498-3333
GuestServices@stanfordhealthcare.org


View the changes to our visitor policy »

 

View information for Guest Services »

New to MyHealth?

Manage Your Care From Anywhere.

Access your health information from any device with MyHealth.  You can message your clinic, view lab results, schedule an appointment, and pay your bill.

ALREADY HAVE AN ACCESS CODE?

Activate Account

DON'T HAVE AN ACCESS CODE?

Create a New Account

NEED MORE DETAILS?

Learn More about MyHealth »
Learn More about Video Visits »

MyHealth for Mobile

Get the iPhone MyHealth app »
Get the Android MyHealth app »

WELCOME BACK

Forgot Username or Password?
Need Help?

Clear

General Surgery - Recovering

  • About
  • About
Overview
Types
Procedures
  • Surgery preparation
  • Tests performed before surgery
  • Recovering
  • After surgery discomforts
  • Pain management
  • Discharge planning
What to Expect
  • Day of surgery
  • Communicating with your physician
  • Learning about your surgeon
  • Determining procedure costs
  • Obtaining a second opinion
  • Surgery checklist
Complications
FAQs
  • Before surgery
  • Consent and advanced directives
  • Location logistics
  • Outpatient surgery
Overview
Types
Procedures
  • Surgery preparation
  • Tests performed before surgery
  • Recovering
  • After surgery discomforts
  • Pain management
  • Discharge planning
What to Expect
  • Day of surgery
  • Communicating with your physician
  • Learning about your surgeon
  • Determining procedure costs
  • Obtaining a second opinion
  • Surgery checklist
Complications
FAQs
  • Before surgery
  • Consent and advanced directives
  • Location logistics
  • Outpatient surgery

Recovering From Surgery 

Once surgery has been completed, you are brought to the recovery room, which also may be called the post-anesthesia care unit. In the recovery room, clinical staff will closely monitor you as you recover from anesthesia. The length of time spent in recovery depends on the type of surgery performed and the individual patient. While a patient is in recovery, the clinical staff may do the following:

  • Monitor vital signs such as blood pressure, pulse, and breathing
  • Monitor for any signs of complications
  • Take the patient's temperature
  • Check for swallowing or gagging
  • Monitor the patient's level of consciousness
  • Check any lines, tubes, or drains
  • Check the wound
  • Check intravenous infusions
  • Monitor the patient's bladder distention
  • Maintain the patient's comfort with pain medication and body positioning

A patient can aid the speed of recovery by doing certain breathing and moving exercises in the recovery room. Always consult with your physician before trying the following:

Deep breaths

Lying flat for an extended period of time can cause fluids to accumulate in the lungs. Taking deep breaths utilizing the entire diaphragm and abdomen can prevent pneumonia from setting in.

Spirometer

A spirometer is a device used by your physician that assesses lung function. Spirometry, the evaluation of lung function with a spirometer, is one of the simplest, most common pulmonary function tests and may be necessary for any/all of the following reasons:

  • To determine how well the lungs receive, hold, and utilize air
  • To monitor a lung disease
  • To monitor the effectiveness of treatment
  • To determine the severity of a lung disease
  • To determine whether the lung disease is restrictive (decreased airflow) or obstructive (disruption of airflow)

Coughing

Coughing helps remove chest secretions, which is another way to prevent pneumonia.

Turning

Changing positions while in the recovery bed helps stimulate circulation and deeper breathing and relieves pressure areas.

Foot and leg exercises

Moving the legs and feet stimulates circulation. Depending on the type of surgery, patients are encouraged to bend the knee and raise the foot several times, to "bicycle" and to draw circles with their great toes. You may be asked to wear special elastic stockings to stimulate circulation.

What is intensive care?

Sometimes a patient is transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU) for further, close monitoring. Intensive care is most often needed for patients on artificial ventilation, for patients recovering from heart attacks or major surgery, for patients in shock, and for patients with acute renal failure, among other reasons. In intensive care, clinical staff closely watches the patient 24 hours a day. 

Previous Section Next Section
  • Find a Doctor
  • Find Conditions & Treatments
  • Find a Stanford clinic
  • For Patients & Visitors
  • Billing
  • Protections Against Surprise Medical Bills
  • Insurance
  • Hospital Check-in
  • Contact Us
  • Video Visits
  • Send a Greeting Card
  • Get a Second Opinion
  • COVID-19 Resource Center
  • Behavioral Standards
  • Make a Gift
  • About Us
  • Quality & Safety
  • Annual Report
  • 300 Pasteur Drive Renewal Program
  • Stanford Health Care – Now
  • For Healthcare Professionals
  • Referring Physicians
  • Nursing
  • Allied Healthcare Professionals
First Responders
  • Newsroom
  • Careers
  • Volunteering
  • Vendors
  • Stanford Medicine Partners
  • Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley
  • Stanford Medicine
  • Stanford Medicine Children's Health
  • Stanford University
  • Legal
  • Privacy
  • Code of Conduct
  • |   Notice of Nondiscrimination      ©2022 Stanford Health Care. All Rights Reserved
Home
Close
Doctors
Clinics & Locations
Conditions & Treatments
Clinical Trials
MyHealth Login

Patients & Visitors
Billing
Insurance
Financial Assistance
Medical Records
Contact Us
Video Visits
Get a Second Opinion
COVID-19 Resource Center
Healthcare Professionals
Referring Physicians
Nursing
Allied Healthcare
About Us
Quality & Safety
Careers
Newsroom
Make a Donation
Stanford Health Care – Now
Close