How to take care of myself after surgery

Medication

• We will give you a prescription for pain medicine before you leave the hospital.
• It is normal to feel some pressure and tightness under your chest muscles after surgery. You can take less and less pain medicine as your pain decreases.
• If your surgeon prescribed antibiotics for you, please follow your surgeon’s instructions.
• You may have some nausea after your surgery. You can take anti-nausea medicine (such as Gravol) to help relieve your nausea or upset stomach. Please take it as directed and continue to drink lots of fluids.

Food and drink

• You can go back to eating your usual meals. Foods with protein such as lean meats and foods with vitamin C such as broccoli, kale, peppers and citrus fruits can help your incisions heal.

Safe activities

For the first 2 weeks after surgery:

• Only do light self-care activities such as showering, brushing your hair, walking and dressing.
• Only move your arms as high as your shoulders.
• Read our “Functional Rehab after Breast Reconstruction” (D-8578) pamphlet for more information.

For the first 4 to 6 weeks after surgery:

• No heavy lifting. Do NOT lift anything heavier than 5 kilograms (10 pounds).

Showering and bathing

• You can start showering 48 hours (2 days) after surgery. Do not submerge yourself in water (no baths).

Bras

• If your surgeon asked you to wear a post-operative bra, wear it during the daytime until your follow-up appointment. You can remove it at night when sleeping.

Dressings

• All your stitches will dissolve.
• You will also have thin white tapes called steri-strips applied along your incisions. These stay on until your follow-up appointment. It is OK if they start to peel or fall off on their own.
• If you have a clear dressing over your incisions, keep it on until your follow-up appointment. It does not need to be changed.
• If you have a gauze dressing over your incisions, you can remove it 48 hours (2 days) after surgery. Leave the steri-strips on.
• If you have a white supportive tape on the side and under your breast(s), please follow your surgeon’s instructions about when to remove it.
• Do NOT put any oils or lotions on your incisions for at least 3 weeks. Your surgeon will let you know when it’s safe to use lotions at your follow-up appointment.
• Do NOT put heat or ice packs on your surgical site. This may injure your skin.

Drains

• You may leave the hospital with JP drains in your breast(s). They help to drain any extra fluid from your body.
• We will arrange for a nurse within your community to help take care of your drains through Home and Community Care Support Services.
• Sometimes you might need to go to a clinic to have the drains checked or removed.

How do I take care of my drains?

 

Milk or strip the tube attached to the JP drain every 4 hours during the day to prevent the tube from getting blocked. We will teach you how to do this.

 

Try to empty your drain at least twice a day (in the morning and evening), or more if needed.

See the chart at the end of this pamphlet to help you remember information about drain care.

When will my drains be removed?

The surgeon will let the nurse know when to remove the drains.

My follow-up visit

Call your plastic surgeon’s office to book an appointment to be seen 2 weeks from the day you leave the hospital.

What if I have questions?

Call the Clinical Nurse Specialist for Breast Reconstruction at 416 340 4800 extension 5161.

Drain output chart

Use this chart to record the date, time and amount of fluid coming from your drain and show it to your home care nurse. Take it with you to your follow-up appointment if your drains are still in place.
Drain output chart