For Patients
After surgery.
What is normal, what is not, and what to do when you are not sure. Recovery is mostly forward; a small step backward on any given day is usually fine.
The first 48 hours
- Pain is expected — typically well-controlled with non-opioid medications (Tylenol + ibuprofen) plus a small amount of stronger medication for the first day or two if needed.
- Nausea is common after anesthesia and usually resolves within the first day. Eat lightly, sip fluids, and rest.
- Walk early and often. Even short laps around the house several times a day prevent blood clots and pneumonia.
- Do not drive until you are off opioid medication and feel sharp enough to react quickly. Usually one week.
- Constipation is almost universal after surgery — start a stool softener on day one.
Catheter care (when you have one)
- Clean around the catheter twice a day with mild soap and water.
- Keep the drainage bag below the level of your bladder at all times.
- The "night bag" (larger, for sleeping) is for sleeping. The "leg bag" (smaller, strapped to the thigh) is for the day.
- Some leakage of urine around the catheter, especially when you have a bowel movement, is normal and not a problem.
- Bright red blood occasionally is normal. Continuous bright red blood, or thick clots, is not — refer to your discharge instructions for next steps.
Wound care
- Small steri-strips or surgical glue covers the incisions. Leave them alone — they fall off on their own.
- You may shower 24 hours after surgery. Let water run over the incisions, pat dry, do not scrub.
- No baths, hot tubs, swimming pools, or oceans for two weeks.
- Mild bruising, swelling, and tenderness around incisions is normal.
What is and is not normal
Your printed discharge instructions are the source of truth for what to expect, what warrants a call, and how to reach the team for your specific operation. As a general reference, here is what is typically normal — and what is a true emergency.
Normal
- Mild swelling and bruising at incision sites
- Constipation for a few days
- Reduced appetite
- Mood dips, fatigue, and disrupted sleep — anesthesia and surgery affect all of these
- Occasional small amounts of blood in the urine
- Pulling, stretching, or "tugging" sensations around the surgical area
Emergencies — call 911 (or go to the nearest ER)
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath, especially of sudden onset
- Fainting
- Heavy, uncontrolled bleeding
Return to activity — general guide
Specific operations vary; this is the general pattern:
- Walking: day of surgery
- Driving: when off opioid medication, usually one week
- Desk work: 1–2 weeks
- Lifting over 15 lbs: 4 weeks
- Heavy physical work or running: 4–6 weeks
- Sex: 4 weeks for most operations; 6 weeks after robotic prostatectomy
- Air travel: usually fine after one week for short flights, longer for long-haul