After your outpatient procedure

Follow your Montage Health care team’s instructions to safely recover after an outpatient procedure, so you can resume your normal activities as quickly as possible.

Self-care instructions

Discharge instructions tell you how to take care of yourself at home, including information about any medications you need to take. Call your doctor or our nursing staff if you have questions about your discharge instructions. You may receive a phone call from us the day after your surgery to check how you’re doing.

After your procedure

Someone else will need to drive you home after surgery. During the first 24 hours at home:

• Do deep breathing exercises and cough three times each hour while you’re awake
• Don’t drive a car or operate machines of any kind, including household appliances
• Don’t make legal decisions
• Don’t smoke. Smoking makes it harder for your body to heal
• Follow your care team’s instructions on which foods and beverages are safe for you. Avoid anything spicy or caffeinated, and don’t drink alcohol
• Rest often. Take naps when you feel sleepy
• Take any pain medication on the schedule your care team recommends, including throughout the night
• Use your continuous positive away pressure (CPAP) machine as usual if you have one. This is especially important if you had sedation (medication to help you relax) during your procedure
• Walk with a cane or walker if instructed to use one

Read our tips for preventing falls and other injuries while you recover at home.

Normal side effects and when to call your doctor

After surgery, it’s normal to have:

• Fatigue (tiredness)
• Nausea
• Muscle soreness
• Throat irritation

These symptoms usually go away in about 24 hours. Contact your doctor if you experience:

• Fever
• Rash
• Severe or unexpected pain
• Swelling, redness, or unusual discharge from the surgical area
• Trouble passing urine (peeing)

Caring for your incision area

You may have an incision area or wound after your procedure. To help it heal and avoid complications such as an infection:

• Keep the dressing (bandage) in place as long as your doctor recommends
• Always wash your hands before touching or replacing your dressing. Use soap and water for at least 15 seconds and fully dry your hands
• Don’t touch the incision
• Keep the incision area clean, dry, and covered as it heals
• Protect the area from injury and pets
• Wear loose, comfortable clothing. Tight clothes may rub and irritate the wound

Follow-up care

Attend any scheduled follow-up appointments with your care team, so we can make sure you’re healing well. If needed, we’ll also remove any stitches or staples.

To help you regain strength and other skills, your doctor may recommend rehabilitation services, such as physical therapy.