Post-Operative Instructions

In general:
You must have someone accompany you and bring you home on the day of your procedure.
Once you are home, you may eat and drink whatever you like. If you are not hungry, drinking fluids is important.
Do not drive for 24 hours.
If your surgery is scheduled at Prentice Women's Hospital at NMH, additional information about their recovery and discharge procedures can be found here.

Call the office (312 654-1166) if:
You have a fever greater than 100.0
Your incisions are red, painful, bleeding, or draining.
You have persistent nausea or vomiting
You are unable to urinate
If pain is progressively more severe
If you are concerned about anything

After a Laparoscopic Procedure:

You will have a band-aid on your umbilicus. You may also have between 2-3 tiny incisions on your belly, depending on what was done. Leave dressings in place for 24 hours. If you have steri-strips (small white pieces of tape) leave them in place until your follow-up appointment. If they come off, do not worry.
You may shower.
It is not unusual to have some shoulder pain from gas that has not been absorbed by your body. It will last around 24 hours.

After Dilatation and Curettage, Hysteroscopy or Endometrial Ablation Procedures:

Light bleeding is not unusual and may last up to two weeks.
Mild uterine cramping is normal. Ibuprofen 400mg will usually provide adequate relief.
Call if you are having severe abdominal pain, heavy vaginal bleeding, or a foul-smelling vaginal discharge.

After a TVT (Urethral Sling) for Incontinence

Some soreness on the inner thigh is expected and will generally go away in a day or two.
Call if you are unable to urinate.
Avoid lifting and high impact exercise for six weeks.

After Labioplasty

Apply ice to the area for 24 hours. A bag of frozen peas wrapped in a washcloth works well.
Apply Bacitracin ointment to the area two times daily for the first week.
Do not wipe with toilet paper. Instead, rinse with a peri bottle filled with warm water and pat dry.