Instructions for Laparoscopy
Pre-Operative Instructions for Laparoscopy
- Start pre-operative bowel prep the night before surgery. Eat only clear liquid diet day before surgery. Sodas, broth, jello, and tea are okay. Instructions are included in this letter.
- Nothing to eat or drink after midnight the night before surgery.
- Stop all blood thinning medications such as Aspirin, Elmiron, Ibuprofen, Aleve, St. John's Wort, and Vitamin E two weeks prior to surgery. Notify our office if you are on Coumadin (warfarin), Heparin, or Plavix so we can coordinate with your physician.
- Take your routine medications the morning of surgery with a sip of water unless otherwise instructed by anesthesia personnel at your pre-op appointment.
Post-Operative Instructions for Laparoscopy
- Walk after surgery to aid healing and bowel movements. The more you walk, the faster your pain will decrease.
- Surgery is a constipating experience. Prevent constipation with walking, Colace, fiber, and water. If needed you can add Milk of Magnesia.
- In the early post-operative period, it is not important to eat a lot, but it is vitally important that you drink plenty of non-alcoholic, non-caffeinated fluids. If you are unable to tolerate fluids because of nausea and vomiting, you need to contact us or go to the Emergency Room for evaluation. Some nausea is common, but you should be able to hold fluids.
- If you need to go the ER for any reason after surgery, go the closest ER to prevent delaying care.
- Call office if you develop a brown or green, watery, odorous discharge as this may be a sign of infection. Call office if you have a fever greater than 100.4.
- Limit your lifting, bending, tugging and pulling for 3-4 weeks.
- No driving until you stop pain medication.
- Postoperatively you will be given an anti-inflammatory such as Mobic, Motrin, or Celebrex. Please take this for 2 weeks postoperatively even if you are not taking narcotic pain medication. You will also be given a prescription for narcotic pain medication such as Percocet or Mepergan. Remember that narcotics can be constipating and can cause drowsiness or nausea.
