the procedure. Your anaesthetist will place a drip into a vein and
ask you to breathe some oxygen through a plastic facemask. Your
anaesthetist will then gently send you off to sleep.
Recovery Unit
You will wake up in the recovery unit with monitoring attached
to you. You will have a drip in your arm, a drain (plastic tube
connected to a container) into your abdomen, and a naso-gastric
tube (plastic tube which drains the stomach, and is inserted through
the nose while you are asleep).
Once you are awake and comfortable you will be transferred to the
High Dependency Unit (HDU) located on the first floor.
Further post-operative care:
Your nurse will record your vital signs regularly and give medication
to control any pain or nausea.
You will be encouraged to do deep breathing exercises to keep
your lungs healthy. You will have compression stockings on and
a FlowTron machine (inflatable stockings), to help prevent blood
clots. Early mobilisation is also good for clot prevention, so you will
be encouraged to move into a chair in the evening after surgery.
You can start to suck on ice chips or take sips of water on your first
night. You will also be able to continue to take your usual medication.
The first day after your surgery
You will usually be ready to move to the ward on the day after your
surgery. You will be encouraged to drink slowly, aiming for 1 litre of
fluids over the day. After this your IV fluids (drip) can be removed.
Do not try to hurry this. You will gradually build from 30ml to 100ml
every hour, starting with clear fluids and progressing to milky fluids.
Remember to sip very slowly and steadily.
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If you are managing to drink, the naso-gastric tube draining you
stomach will be removed. You will continue to be given an anti-