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Staying Healthy After Surgery
Staying healthy following surgery includes eating a balanced
diet, staying clean, exercising, and getting the proper amount
of sleep. You are important! Taking responsibility for practicing
these habits is an important step toward a healthy recovery.
Who to call
Home Care:
Physician’s Office:
Orthopedic Services: Staying Healthy After Surgery
Hand washing – single best way to prevent infection
It is important to wash hands:
• Before and after meals
• After a sneeze
• After going to the bathroom
• Before and after surgical
dressing change
• After touching pets
Getting ready
• Turn on water
1. Wet hands and wrists.
2. Use liquid soap.
3. Scrub hands thoroughly for at
least 30 seconds.
4. Dry hands with a clean paper towel.
5. Use paper towel to turn off faucet.
Ask your family and friends to wash their hands
when near you.
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Orthopedic Services: Staying Healthy After Surgery
Personal Hygiene
• Brush teeth or dentures daily.
• Shower daily or take a sponge bath to keep germs and odors away.
Warm soap and water is good.
• Change underclothes daily. Put on clean pajamas and clothes every other day.
• Keep hair and fingernails clean.
• Keep bed clean. Change bedding each week or sooner if they become soiled.
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Orthopedic Services: Staying Healthy After Surgery
Sleep or Rest
Family and friends often mean well in visiting you following surgery. Realize that you
will tire easily during the first two weeks following surgery so you may need to take
several naps.
Sleep and rest are important to your recovery, so schedule your naps each day and
politely tell friends and family the hours you will be available to visit with them.
Discourage family and friends from “just dropping by.”
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Orthopedic Services: Staying Healthy After Surgery
Hygiene and Pets
• Pets are great! Touching and playing with them is considered a rewarding
pastime and many people consider them an important part of the family.
• Pets can carry germs, even on their fur, that can infect your wound.
• Good hygiene habits will help prevent a surgical infection.
• Do continue to show concern and affection to your pet.
• Don’t let them near your surgical site...even if it is covered with a dressing.
• Don’t let your pet on your bed, chair, or lap while your incision is healing.
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Orthopedic Services: Staying Healthy After Surgery
Preparing the Work Area
• Wash your hands.
• Clean the surface on which you intend to place your dressing supplies.
Spread a clean paper towel on the prepared surface.
• Move away from the prepared surface if you have to sneeze or cough.
•
Gather your dressing supplies:
– Medical tape
– Disposable gloves
– Bandage material
– Any additional supplies
• Wash your hands again.
Remember, once you have washed
your hands, don’t touch anything other
than your supplies. Wash your hands if
you touch anything such as furniture or
the phone.
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Orthopedic Services: Staying Healthy After Surgery
Removing the Wound Dressing
• Wash your hands before and after each dressing change.
• Put on disposable gloves.
• Slowly and gently pull the tape toward the wound to
loosen one layer at a time. Remove the dressing.
• Look for drainage on the dressing. You should see
a decreasing amount of drainage.
• It should be turning to a clear, amber color.
• Notify your doctor if there is a huge amount of drainage.
• Put the old dressing in a plastic bag and remove gloves.
• Throw bag containing old dressing in trash.
• Wash your hands after each dressing change.
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Orthopedic Services: Staying Healthy After Surgery
Inspect Your Wound
• The skin around your incision area may be slightly
bruised and a little swollen the first few days.
This should decrease within the first week.
• All the staples should be intact (not pulling away).
• The skin around the staples may be slightly pink
but not bright red.
• It is normal to have some numbness around
the incision.
• If your incision has Steri-strips, please do not
pull, tug, or cut them. They will fall off on their own.
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Orthopedic Services: Staying Healthy After Surgery
When to Call Your Doctor
Your surgeon will instruct you on how often to change your dressing.
Call your doctor if you experience any of the following symptoms
when you are changing your dressing:
• Drainage that soaks the dressing more than once in 24 hours
• Sutures or staples that are pulling away from the wound
• A wound with the edges separating
• Increased swelling, pain, or redness
• Skin around the wound feels much warmer than
the rest of your body
• Chills and/or fever above 101oF
• Confusion, loss of appetite, or increased fatigue
This incision appears infected.
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Orthopedic Services: Staying Healthy After Surgery
Keeping Your Home Clean
Keeping your living space clean and clutter-free helps to avoid infection.
Germs hide well here!
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Orthopedic Services: Staying Healthy After Surgery
Eating for Healing
• Choose fresh, simple foods to provide proper healing nutrients. These fresh foods have more vitamins than boxed or frozen dinners.
• Choose from each group daily:
– Beef, chicken, cheese, fish, eggs, and nuts
– Fresh fruits (apples, berries, oranges)
– Fresh vegetables (green, yellow, or orange)
• Proteins improve wound healing.
• Consider adding a protein shake.
• Sweets should be rarely eaten. They increase
blood sugar and germs love them.
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Orthopedic Services: Staying Healthy After Surgery
Drinking for Healing
• Water is best (4 - 6 glasses/day).
• Avoid pop and sweet drinks (increases risk of infection).
• No alcohol (decreases body’s ability to fight infection).
• Follow any special diet instructions given by your physician.
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Orthopedic Services: Staying Healthy After Surgery