Intravenous Lines
If you have had surgery involving the digestive tract, you will not be able to eat for several days. You will have to rely on an intravenous line for nutrition. It may also e necessary to remove the secretions in your stomach and intestines with a tube that passes down one nostril to the stomach.
After an abdominal operation, the intestines tend to lose their normal function temporarily. Instead of continually contracting and relaxing to pass on the contents, they become inactive. This is why you may not be allowed foods or fluids by mouth. The attending surgeon will listen to the abdomen with a stethoscope because it is possible to hear sounds of returning function. It is common for the return of intestinal movement to be accompanied by several hours of uncomfortable swelling which is relieved by passing flatus. This may be followed by several loose bowel movements. The nurse will want to know when you first pass gas after the operation.
Breathing Exercises
After any type of surgery under a general anesthetic and particularly if the operation involves the chest or abdomen, it is difficult to take deep breaths or to cough. The air is distributed to the lungs by a system of tubes which subdivide into increasingly smaller tubes, ending in balloon-shaped alveoli. The tubes produce mucus, which forms a thin, sticky coating that traps tiny particles of dust or bacteria. The mucus is constantly moved toward the larger tubes and coughed up. If you cannot take a deep breath, then the mucus accumulates in the base of the lungs, blocking the smaller tubes. Once this has happened, the area of blocked lung collapses and becomes highly susceptible to infection. For this reason, a respiratory therapist will visit you after your operation to help you to breathe deeply and cough up any sputum. You will be given adequate pain relief and shown how to make the coughing less painful. It is important to continue with these breathing and coughing exercises.
Muscular Exercises
It is essential to keep the circulation in the legs moving to prevent deep vein thrombosis and possible embolism. Before the operation, a physiotherapist will teach you exercises, such as bending the knees or forcefully contracting the leg muscles.
