You will receive a recovery pathway with goals from your healthcare provider. Read it and ask your nurse questions if needed. Practice deep breathing and coughing to help expand your lungs and clear out secretions. Ask your healthcare providers about using an incentive spirometer.
Get Plenty of Rest
After thoracic surgery, it’s normal to feel tired and may have difficulty falling asleep. Rest is critical to recovery, so get about 8 hours of sleep each night. An afternoon nap is also helpful. Eating well and getting plenty of fluids after thoracic surgery is essential. Eight to ten glasses of water or other liquids should be consumed daily. It’s best to avoid drinking alcohol and caffeine unless your doctor tells you otherwise. An organ such as the heart, lungs, or esophagus can be examined or made contact with during a thoracotomy, a surgical procedure done by doctors like Armen Parajian that involves cutting your ribs. Your doctor might recommend this surgery to diagnose or treat an illness like mesothelioma. A thoracotomy can take several hours and might require you to stay in the hospital for a week or more.
Take Care of Yourself
During your recovery, you will be visited by a nurse or physiotherapist who can help you to get up and move around. You have to keep moving even though it hurts at first because it can reduce your risk of blood clots in your legs, also known as deep vein thrombosis. After lung surgery, you should do deep breathing and coughing exercises to expand your lower lungs and clear out secretions. Your physician, respiratory therapist, or nurse may provide an incentive spirometer if you are frequently unable to complete these exercises. You might also need to take pain medicine to control your pain. Reading your pathway and asking your doctor what medications are proper is a good idea.
Sleep Well
After surgery, you will need to rest. Listening to your doctor’s instructions is essential, as they will know best how much activity you can safely engage in after your procedure. Sleep also increases blood flow and allows oxygen and nutrients to reach injured tissues more quickly. Sleeping well after surgery is vital, even if it means taking short naps during the day. Taking steps to prepare for your upcoming surgery ahead of time can help make the recovery process as easy and comfortable as possible. It could entail making arrangements for a friend or relative to stay with you while you heal and grocery shopping for easily prepared, nonperishable foods when you get home from the hospital.
Eat Well
You may not feel like eating after surgery, but it’s essential to maintain your nutrition. Eating well boosts your immune system, reduces the risk of infection, and helps you heal faster. You’ll need to eat at least small portions six times daily, even if you don’t feel hungry. You’ll also need to drink plenty of fluids. Eating whole foods—fruits, vegetables, and protein-rich meats—will help you stay healthy. Steer clear of sugar overload, as it can worsen your immune system and impair your healing process. Your doctors may recommend using a chest tube and incentive spirometer to encourage deep breathing and coughing several times per hour. The device helps to reduce pain from your operation and prevent pneumonia. Walking as soon as possible to promote healing and reduce the risk of complications such as blood clots in your legs is also important.
Stay Active
While it may initially be uncomfortable, exercising after surgery can speed recovery. Julie began walking the day after her surgery, walking around her hospital room. Gradually, she walked farther each day until she could cover a mile. Empowerment is a significant element of the journey to healing and resilience. It means harnessing personal power and recognizing invaluable social supports and structured strategies available. It also includes embracing the reality that setbacks are integral to recovery and viewing them as opportunities for progress rather than roadblocks. This perspective helps to sustain hope and drive forward momentum. It also fosters resilience to the inevitable setbacks that occur along the way.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.