Recovering after your surgeryAfter surgery, your face may feel tight and quite tender as the anesthesia wears off. You may even feel emotional or upset, this will depend upon your body's reaction to anesthesia. Your prescribed medication should alleviate this pain and discomfort. However, if you believe your pain to be out of the ordinary once you get home, call your surgeon immediately. You will also need to arrange for somebody to drive you home. Please keep your incisions/suture line dry if they are extra-oral. Also take care in not getting creams or lotions, nor topical arnica into the incision, as these can cause inflammation. For intra-oral incisions, keep your mouth clean! You may be asked to use Listerine several times a day and stay on a liquid diet until the incisions are healed. Do not tongue your incisions, or feel them with your fingers. Pain tolerances depend upon the individual but you will feel tender, stiff and sore for a few says and will more than likely not want to move too much. This will subside. Be sure to take your required medications and follow the precise instructions provided to you by your surgeon. As with all surgeries, swelling will be an issue. Swelling is a normal reaction to an injury and is categorized as a natural inflammatory action. You may be swollen for up to 3 to 5 months, although this could be very slight and only noticed by you. |
As you recoverBruises may or may not be present after your surgery. Cold compresses will reduce the chances of bruising and reduce swelling during the first 48 hours. They can also assist in pain relief and swelling reduction thereafter however, please be careful that you do not injure your skin. The ice may hurt at first but will feel better as your skin gets used to it. Warm, gentle compresses starting at the 48 hours post-op mark can assist in bruise removal by dilating the blood vessels to help the body remove blood and damaged tissue away from the treatment area. However, warm compresses should only be used after the 48 hour mark, and not before. Sleeping is going to be difficult at first. It is important to sleep with at least 2 to 3 fluffy pillows under your upper back and head to keep yourself elevated. This helps relieve pressure from your treatment area hence reducing swelling and pain. Even though you may not feel like it, your surgeon will more than likely advise you to walk and move around as soon as you are able. If you do not and lie around you may develop clots and or hold fluid (swelling, edema) a lot longer. You will be instructed not to exercise or engage in strenuous activities for at least 3 weeks. Don't lift anything over 5 lb. and try not to raise anything over your head until your surgeon releases you for activity. Take your time in healing so that you give yourself the best healing environment possible. |
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