General
 Do
not drive for 12 hours after a general anaesthetic
Avoid
strenuous activity for three days after surgery
Take
all medication as prescribed
You
can expect a sore throat and muscle stiffness for 48 hours after a general
anaesthetic
Contact
your doctor immediately if excessive bleeding occurs
Dental
Extractions
Do
not rinse your mouth on the day of surgery
Sleep
with your head slightly elevated
If
bleeding occurs, bite on a piece of wet cotton wool for 30 minutes. If the
bleeding is excessive, call your doctor
Apply
an ice pack to your face for 10 minutes each hour to reduce pain and
swelling
Rince
your mouth with warm salt water five times a day for 10 days
Drink
lots of fluids while taking post-operative medication
Mild
to moderate pain and swelling is expected for the first three to four days
Tonsillectomy
and Adenoidectomy
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Stay
in bed on the day of discharge from hospital.
You may get up the following day, staying indoors.
Older children and adults will not be fit to return to school or work
for seven to ten days.
Do not go out at night during this period.
Try to keep the patient at a constant temperature.
During the first week you will have a sore throat, ear
aches and a slight rise in temperature.
The pain after a tonsillectomy is due to the wound as well as from
stiffness of the throat muscles.
The sooner the patient chews and eats, the sooner the pain will go
away.
Prescribed pain killers should be taken half-an-hour before a meal
to relieve the pain of swallowing.
A full diet should be started as soon as possible. |
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Preferred
foods:
Solid foods, bread, toast, apples, jelly, chewing gum, plenty of
fluids. |
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Food to
avoid for approximately one week:
Bananas, paw-paw, pineapple, avocado pears, tomatoes, orange
juice, spices, chocolate, hot soup. |
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It
is very important to keep the mouth clean. Brush teeth and
gargle after every meal.
The area where the tonsils were removed will heal with the
formation of a grey-yellow scab. This is normal and does not
indicate an infection. If bleeding occurs, contact your doctor. |
Ganglion
removal
Following ganglion cyst
removal at the wrist, a bulky compressive dressing or plaster of paris
will be applied. This is to prevent movement of the joint in the early
stages of healing. This dressing should be used for up to two weeks.
Exercises are recommended as soon as the dressings are removed to prevent
the development of possible stiffness and limitations of wrist motion.
Between periods of exercise, a splint may be worn to provide rest for the
joint. Usual recovery time following surgery for ganglion cysts ranges
from two to three weeks for small ganglions of the finger, and six to
eight weeks for ganglions involving the wrist.
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General
