Soreness or pain of your abdominal wall is normal after surgery. Pain will be worse with movement, changing positions from laying to seated to standing.
Most of our patients take only tylenol and ibuprofen for pain management after surgery. If you have been advised in the past not to take one of these medications, please follow those instructions. Applying ice to the surgery site for 20 minutes at a time can also be helpful.
We recommend taking the following (if allowed) every 6 hours for the first few days after surgery as needed:
- 650mg to 1g of acetaminophen (Tylenol)
- 400mg to 600mg of ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin)
If you are experiencing significant pain that is preventing you from going on a walk or falling asleep, please call the office to discuss prescription pain medications. Opioid pain medications like oxycodone, will cause constipation, so we recommend following the instructions below for constipation.
- Fiber supplement (Citrucel or Benefiber)
- Stool softener (Colace, Senakot)
- Laxative only if unable to have a bowel movement for a few days (Milk of Magnesia)