Cataract surgery is not particularly complex, but if you don’t take care of yourself afterward, there can be complications. Most of the time you will go home the day of the surgery, but since your eye might be bandaged, you will need someone to drive you home. As a rule your doctor will tell you to not lift heavy things, since that can put pressure on your eyes, which means you won’t be able to do housework or the like.

You will need to monitor your vision during your convalescence, and regular checkups with your physician will be necessary as well. Infection can occur during your time at home, which means that you will probably have to take medications during this time.

Having someone who will remind you to take your medication, take you for your checkups and do your light housework, will help assure a perfect recovery.

While breast augmentation surgery is not as serious as, say open heart surgery, there is a convalescence period and you should do everything to make your recovery the best it can be. Physicians often recommend small amounts of exercise after the surgery, sometimes on the same day. Getting back to your normal life will take a while, and while it won’t be a good idea to run a marathon on the day you get out of the hospital, it might be a good idea to go out to dinner with family or friends, or go to a movie on the day you get out of the hospital. These things will help you get back in to the “swing of things” and will greatly aid in your return to a normal life.

Much post op surgery care involves the care of surgical incisions, and their proper draining. This is especially true of breast augmentation surgery, but it applies to most other types of surgery. After breast augmentation surgery, the surgeon will place surgical drain near the incisions. These drains make sure that there is no buildup of fluid near the incision. After the surgery you may be given a log on which you record the amount drained each day. You will have to pay close attention to the amount of fluid that is drained daily and make sure that you tell your physician if it is more than he determines is normal.

Pain management is one of the biggest tasks a recuperating patient needs to deal with, and knowing how to deal with it can mean a better prognosis for your surgery. First off, it’s important to realize that pain is good for you. It tells you that there is something wrong that needs to be attended to. Relieving you pain will be the first step. If you are taking narcotics, make sure that you have enough for you at home convalescence. Doctors may not ‘call in’ prescriptions for heavy duty pain killers, so having them on hand is a top priority. It will be very important that you not be disturbed during your at home recovery, so having someone to take off the stress of day to day responsibilities should be your next step. Also, make sure you talk to your doctor about what to expect in terms of pain, not only the intensity, but how long you should expect to be in pain. This will not only allow you to mentally prepare yourself for the convalescence, but if the pain persists over a longer than expected period, more care may be necessary.

Surgery is intrinsically stressful, and the body responds to it by changes in hormone levels and other metabolic processes. But the stress doesn’t end when the operation is over. Your body still needs time to readjust days, weeks, sometimes months. This is why it’s imperative that your home recovery be as free of stress as possible. Having someone who can do small things like chores or run errands can really make a difference in the long run.