Rest and protect the repair
- Go straight home and rest for the first 24 hours.
- Walk and use stairs as tolerated. Support the incision when coughing or sneezing.
- Use wrapped ice for 20 minutes every 4–6 hours.
Boise surgery recovery center
Postoperative Instructions and Recovery Resources
Quickly find recovery guidance by procedure or topic. Your discharge paperwork and direct instructions from Dr. Daniel Gay always take priority over this general resource.
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Select a procedure or search for a topic such as showering, lifting, diet, drains, pain, or constipation.
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Procedure-specific recovery
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Hernia Surgery RecoveryIncision care, binder use, lifting, activity, and swelling
ShoweringPain & iceLiftingActivity
Increase light activity
- Gradually increase walking and light activity.
- Avoid heavy lifting over 15 pounds or strenuous exercise until cleared.
- Wear an abdominal binder if discharged with one; it may be removed for sleep.
- Take a stool softener and fiber supplement while using pain medication.
Continue incision care
- Keep incisions clean and dry and do not remove glue.
- Shower after 24 hours, but avoid soaking until healed, usually about 3 weeks.
- For groin repair swelling, elevate the scrotum, use supportive underwear, and use wrapped ice as directed.
Your discharge paperwork and direct instructions from Dr. Gay take priority.
Gallbladder Surgery RecoveryDiet, incision care, activity, and symptoms to watch
DietShoweringPain & heatLifting
Rest, hydrate, and start gently
- Rest for the first 24 hours, then walk and increase light activity as tolerated.
- Start with clear liquids and progress to a low-fat diet.
- Use heat for shoulder discomfort from insufflation gas and ice on incisions or the right upper abdomen as needed.
Protect your incisions
- Avoid heavy lifting over 15 pounds or strenuous exercise until cleared.
- Keep sites clean and dry and do not remove glue.
- Avoid heavy, greasy, and spicy foods initially. Drink plenty of fluids unless otherwise instructed.
Return gradually
- Avoid alcohol for 2 weeks.
- Avoid swimming, baths, pools, or hot tubs until healed, usually 2–3 weeks.
- Call for jaundice, brown or green drain output, persistent vomiting, worsening distention, or inability to urinate within 6 hours of leaving the hospital.
Your discharge paperwork and direct instructions from Dr. Gay take priority.
Breast Surgery RecoverySupport garments, drains, dressings, lifting, and follow-up
DressingsDrainsPain & iceLifting
Rest and support the area
- Rest for the first 24 hours and gradually resume light activity.
- Wear the surgical vest or sports bra as instructed.
- Apply ice for 20 minutes every 4–6 hours during the first 3 days.
Care for dressings and drains
- Avoid lifting over 15 pounds, excessive arm movement, or strenuous exercise until cleared.
- Do not remove glue. A plastic dressing may be removed after 48 hours and replaced with clean gauze and tape.
- Empty a surgical drain as needed and change the drain-site dressing as instructed.
Follow up and increase activity
- Wear the surgical vest or sports bra 24 hours a day for the first 2 weeks except while showering.
- Follow-up is typically scheduled 1–2 weeks after surgery.
- Resume more activity only when cleared.
Your discharge paperwork and direct instructions from Dr. Gay take priority.
Hemorrhoid / Anorectal RecoveryBathing, bowel care, drainage, diet, and activity
BathingBowel careDietActivity
Rest and prevent constipation
- Rest for the first 24 hours, then gradually resume light activity.
- Start with clear liquids and progress to a regular diet as tolerated.
- Begin the recommended stool softener and fiber supplement.
Keep the area comfortable and clean
- Shower after 24 hours and soak in a warm bath with Epsom salts 2–3 times daily.
- Use gauze, a pad, or an adult diaper for expected drainage.
- Avoid excessive wiping; use moist wipes or rinse gently.
Increase activity carefully
- Avoid lifting over 15 pounds or strenuous exercise until cleared.
- Avoid prolonged sitting or pressure on the area.
- Minor bleeding, swelling, and discharge can be expected. Call for excessive bleeding or severe worsening pain.
Continue a stool softener and fiber supplement for the next month unless instructed otherwise.
Skin and Soft Tissue Surgery RecoveryWound care, showering, swelling, lifting, and infection signs
Wound careShoweringPain & iceLifting
Rest and reduce swelling
- Rest for the first 24 hours and gradually resume light activity.
- Keep the surgical site clean and dry. Do not remove glue dressings.
- Use ice for 20 minutes every 4–6 hours and elevate the area when possible.
Protect the wound
- Shower after 24 hours unless instructed otherwise.
- Avoid lifting over 15 pounds or strenuous exercise until cleared.
- Watch for increasing redness, swelling, warmth, unusual drainage, pus, or foul odor.
Continue healing
- Avoid swimming or soaking until healed, usually about 3 weeks.
- If you had pilonidal surgery, avoid pressure on the tailbone, crouching, and exercise until cleared.
- Hair removal around a pilonidal site helps prevent recurrence.
Your discharge paperwork and direct instructions from Dr. Gay take priority.
Drain CareEmptying, showering, and changing the drain-site dressing
Drain careShoweringDressings
Empty the drain as needed
- Empty the drain whenever needed and as directed in your discharge instructions.
- Keep the bulb compressed after emptying so it can continue to provide suction.
- Record the output if your care team asks you to track it.
Change the dressing around the drain
- Remove the old dressing around the drain.
- Gently clean the skin around the drain and pat it dry.
- Place a thin layer of bacitracin ointment, then cover with clean gauze and tape.
Shower, but do not soak
- You may shower over the dressing unless you were given different instructions.
- Do not take a bath or soak the drain site.
- Call for loss of suction, accidental removal, rapidly increasing output, foul drainage, spreading redness, fever, or another concern.
Your discharge paperwork and direct instructions from Dr. Gay take priority.
Pain Control After SurgerySafe medication use, non-opioid options, JOURNAVX, and when to call
Pain medicineRecoveryConstipation prevention
Make a safe pain-control plan
- Review allergies, kidney or liver disease, blood thinners, and all medications with the surgical team.
- Use prescribed medicines only as directed. Do not combine products that contain acetaminophen unless instructed.
- Ice, heat, movement, positioning, and relaxation may help when appropriate for your procedure.
Use the lowest effective treatment
- Acetaminophen, anti-inflammatory medicines, local anesthetics, or opioids may be used depending on the procedure and your health.
- JOURNAVX (suzetrigine) is a prescription non-opioid medicine for certain types of acute pain. It is not appropriate for every patient; discuss risks, interactions, and coverage with your clinician.
- Opioids can cause sleepiness, nausea, constipation, and dependence. Never mix them with alcohol or drive while taking them.
Track symptoms and call when needed
- Take medicine on the schedule provided and taper stronger medicines as pain improves.
- Prevent constipation with fluids, walking, and the recommended bowel regimen.
- Call for uncontrolled or rapidly worsening pain, excessive sleepiness, breathing problems, confusion, rash, or another concerning reaction.
Medication choices must be individualized. Your discharge paperwork and direct instructions from Dr. Gay take priority.
No matching instructions found
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Applies to most surgeries
Universal recovery guidance
After anesthesia
No driving, machinery, alcohol, or important legal decisions for at least 24 hours. Rest, hydrate, and arrange adult supervision after sedation when instructed.
Pain management
Use prescribed medication as directed. Acetaminophen or NSAIDs may be appropriate when previously discussed. Minimize opioids when possible and use ice or heat only as instructed.
Constipation prevention
Drink fluids, walk regularly, eat fiber as tolerated, and use the recommended stool softener or bowel regimen, especially while taking opioid pain medication.
Blood thinners & medications
Restart home medications and anticoagulants only as directed on the discharge paperwork. Do not add medicines, sleep aids, tranquilizers, or sedatives without approval.
Red flag symptoms
Call the office for fever over 100.4°F, increasing redness, unusual drainage, severe or worsening pain, persistent vomiting, significant bleeding, or other concerns.
Emergency symptoms
Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room for chest pain, severe breathing difficulty, loss of consciousness, or another medical emergency.
Printable resources
Downloads
Download the office instruction sheet that matches your procedure.
Do not wait if you are concerned
When to call the office
Call for fever over 100.4°F, increasing redness or drainage, severe or worsening pain, persistent vomiting, significant bleeding, difficulty breathing, or any concern listed in your discharge paperwork.
Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room for chest pain, severe breathing difficulty, loss of consciousness, or another medical emergency.