post-operative advice
Last reviewed 11/2022
The patient should be encouraged to walk as soon as possible. This may be facilitated by simple analgesia.
In the week following surgery, the patient should avoid activities which may strain the repair e.g. driving a car or heavy lifting. In the following few weeks they should then gradually return to normal activity.
The time at which a patient should return to work is dependent on the nature of the job and the rate of recovery of the patient. Patients generally return to work between two and six weeks postoperatively. Heavy manual work should not be recommenced before 6-8 weeks. The patient should be wary of any activity which causes pain in the wound.