When Can I Resume Normal Activities after a Surgical Procedure?
When you’ve suffered an injury or illness that requires any type of surgery, one of your first questions, particularly if you lead an active life, will be “when can I get back to the life I had?” Unfortunately, because every surgical procedure is different, the factors that go into your recovery and the forms of treatment that will most effectively work for you will be unique. There are, however, some general guidelines you can follow to ensure that you attain maximum recovery and that your recuperative period is minimal.
Rely on Your Surgeon to Determine Both Treatment and Recovery Time
The person who will best understand what you can and cannot do, how much time you need to take and whether you’re making appropriate progress will be your surgeon. Don’t look for treatment options on the Internet and don’t try treatment plans that worked for someone else. Your surgeon has a comprehensive understanding of what your body has been through, what your body needs and what your body will tolerate. Be patient—you don’t want to risk complications by trying to come back too soon.
If your surgical procedure was invasive—surgeons had to make an incision—you can typically expect a longer recovery period, as your body has experienced trauma and needs time to heal. Some surgical procedures are more invasive than others, though. A knee replacement will require much more recovery time than arthroscopic meniscus surgery. With minimally invasive procedures, you can typically expect to start reclaiming your life within about a month. Open surgical procedures may involve many months of recovery, rehabilitation and physical therapy
Follow the Advice of Your Doctor
As a general rule, the best way to accelerate the recovery process is to listen carefully and follow the specific instructions of your surgeon. That means doing the things you are asked to do, but it also means that you shouldn’t overdo them. Before you try to push your recovery, ask your surgeon if there are risks from working too hard to recover. Pain after a surgical procedure may be an indication that you’re not doing enough to heal, but it can also be a sign that you’re putting too much stress on the surgical area.
Contact SOAR Today
To learn more about the ways we can help you reestablish your health or to get more information about the full range of services we offer, contact our office today or call us at 844-434-SOAR. Let us help you on your path to full health.
