Don't be surprised if you feel very tired when you get home, especially if you've had a major operation or a general anaesthetic.
It's important to move around as soon as possible after surgery and follow your doctor's advice on getting active again. This will encourage your blood to flow and your wounds to heal, and it will build up strength in your muscles. Read about walking for health.
Generally, try to get back into your regular routine as soon as possible. Use this as an opportunity to make a fresh start: to eat more healthily, start exercising to stay in shape, and (if you're a smoker) quit smoking.
If you have a dressing on the area that was cut for the operation, follow the instructions your nurse gave you to care for your wound at home.
Recovery
Your doctor will have given you an idea of how long it will take to get back to normal.
As a rough guide, it'll take you about a week to recover from a simple operation such as gallbladder removal, and a few months to recover from a major operation such as a hip replacement.
For information on recovery specific to a procedure, click on the links below or look up your prodecure in the A-Z index.
Hip replacement
Knee replacement
Varicose vein surgery
Fibroids surgery
Diverticulitis surgery
Cataract surgery
Arthroscopy
Hysterectomy
Aortic aneurysm repair
Gallbladder removal
You can also check if there's a Get Well Soon leaflet for your particular operation – these guides, produced by the Royal College of Surgeons, give detailed information on recovering from various different procedures.
Feedback
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