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Step 1
Account for the time that you will be in surgery and still under general anesthesia. While the surgery itself usually takes about an hour, you may not wake up from anesthesia for several hours and usually have at least a full night to recover in the hospital as well.
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Step 2
Ask the nurses and doctors for specific advice on how to care for your incisions and precisely what you are allowed to eat or drink. Speak up if you are having any pain and write down how much of which medications the staff is giving you for the pain.
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Step 3
Wear loose clothing to avoid irritating your incisions. Take showers in warm water only per your doctor's instructions and don't soak in a bathtub.
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Step 4
Recognize any signs of infections around your incision such as increasing redness, excessive swelling or any oozing. Also take your temperature if you suspect you have a fever and then call your doctor immediately.
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Step 5
Follow the soft diet recommendations of your doctors to ease gas and bloating that often occurs after this type of surgery. Usually you're restricted to liquids only for three to four days and then you can eat only soft foods for another week after that.
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Step 6
Exert yourself only when absolutely necessary for 10 days after your surgery. Avoid lifting more than 5 pounds or straining your ab muscles in any way.
