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Advice Regarding Post-Operative Complications
Before You Go Home
The nurse will advise you when you can go home. You must have a responsible adult to collect you from the ward, accompany you home, and stay with you over night.
- The nurse will give you an information leaflet about the type of anaesthetic you had and about your procedure. If needed, you will also be given wound care information and some dressings to take home with you.
- If you have a wound with non-absorbable sutures, the nurse will inform you when to get the sutures removed (either from your own G.P and from the out-patient department).
- If your wound dressing needs to be changed daily, then the nurse will arrange a public health nurse to change the dressing for you.
The doctor will review you before you go home. Any questions/ concerns you have will be discussed.
- The doctor will give you a discharge letter for you G.P and a prescription if needed for analgesia and/ or antibiotics.
- If you have to come back to see your doctor, the nurse will inform you of your out- patient appointment.
A physiotherapist may see you before you go home to give you advice regarding mobilising and daily exercises for you to do at home. Crutches may also be given to you.
Advice regarding post-operative complications is also given by the staff, so the patient knows what to do if something goes wrong (i.e. if the wound site bleeds).
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Remember: A responsible adult has to collect you from the ward, accompany you home, and stay with you over night. Public transport is not recommended. It is best the person drives you home after your procedure. If you live over an hour away from the hospital, it is recommended that you and your relative/ friend stay in Dublin overnight after your procedure. If you are undergoing a local anaesthetic, the above information may not concern you, as you may be able to drive home. Please contact the ward to find out if you are able to make your own way home. |
Follow-up Telephone Call
One or two days after your procedure, a nurse from the ward will telephone you to see how you are getting on after your procedure. This will give you the opportunity to voice any concerns and ask any questions. All feedback is taken seriously and acted upon so we can improve our service and delivery of care. If you do not have a telephone, then please contact the ward the day following your surgery if you have any questions.
Advice Regarding Post-Operative Complications
If you have any problems after your procedure then please do contact the ward if it is on the same day as you were discharged. You may be advised to visit your G.P, the A+E department or to return to St. Finbars day ward depending on the nature or severity of the problem.
If problems arise the day after or a few days after your procedure, then you will have to go to your own G.P or to the A+E department. Explain the type of procedure you had in St. Finbars day ward and what the problem is you are now encountering.
Points to Remember When Having a Procedure
Discharge and Post-operative Information