Warning Signs After Surgery: When to Call Your Surgeon
Recovery is full of weird. You're swollen, sore, lumpy, leaking, and exhausted, and most of it is normal. So how do you know when something isn't?
Escúchame, hermosa (listen to me, gorgeous) Knowing the warning signs after surgery can keep a small problem from turning into a big one: this is the post I want every woman to read before she goes home from surgery.
Warning signs after surgery: the quick answer
Call your surgeon if you have a fever, a hot, red, or spreading area around your incision, pus or a bad smell, swelling that's suddenly much worse on one side, pain your medication doesn't touch, or calf pain or swelling in one leg.
Call 911 if you have chest pain, shortness of breath, coughing up blood, confusion, or fainting. Don't wait, and don't drive yourself.
No esperes: don't wait. And don't ask a Facebook group first.
Call 911 right away
These can be signs of a blood clot in your lungs or another emergency:
Shortness of breath or trouble catching your breath
Chest pain, especially when you breathe in
Coughing up blood
A racing heartbeat that doesn't settle
Confusion, fainting, or feeling like you might pass out
Ojo, watch out: this is not a "let me see how I feel in the morning" situation.
Call your surgeon today
Signs of infection
A fever. Many surgeons say to call at 100.4°F or 101°F. Check your instructions for your surgeon's number.
Chills, or feeling like you have the flu
Redness, heat, or hardness that's spreading around an incision
Yellow or green drainage, or drainage that smells bad
An incision that's opening up
Signs of a blood clot in your leg
Pain, cramping, or tenderness in one calf
Swelling in one leg more than the other
Warm, red, or darker skin on that leg
Signs of bleeding or fluid buildup
Swelling that's suddenly much worse on one side, especially if it's tight, painful, or bruising fast
Bleeding that soaks through your dressing or doesn't stop with light pressure
A soft, sloshy pocket of fluid that keeps growing (this could be a seroma)
Other signs to report
Pain that keeps getting worse, or that your medication doesn't help
Skin that turns dark, purple, gray, or black, or feels cold
Numbness or tingling that doesn't go away when you loosen your faja
Nausea or vomiting that won't stop, or you can't keep fluids down
Not peeing for many hours, even though you're drinking
What's usually normal
I see a lot of worried women in my office, and a lot of what scares them is just healing:
Swelling that comes and goes, and gets worse at the end of the day
Bruising that changes color and fades
Firm, lumpy areas that slowly soften over weeks (often fibrosis)
Pink or clear-ish drainage from drain sites in the first days
Feeling tired and emotional
Normal swelling slowly gets better over time. A warning sign is something that's suddenly worse, getting hotter, spreading, or happening on one side.
What I do when I see a warning sign
What I tell my clients: I'm your massage therapist, not your doctor. If I see redness, heat, a fever, a growing fluid pocket, or one leg swelling more than the other, I stop the session and tell you to call your surgeon.
I would rather send you home and be wrong than keep working and be right. Mejor prevenir: better safe than sorry.
Here's your chisme for today: before surgery, save your surgeon's after-hours number in your phone and write it on a sticky note on your fridge. Take a quick photo of your incisions every day, too. If something changes, you'll have pictures to send.
Sin pena, no shame: you're never "bothering" your surgeon by calling. That's what they're there for.
Want the full game plan?
My book walks you through recovery week by week, including what's normal and what's not.
If you're in Sacramento and healing from surgery, I'd love to help you through it.
Not local? Reach out to me for a private consult over Zoom (small fee).
I'm a Certified Massage Therapist (CAMTC No. 39170), not a doctor. This post is for education, not medical advice. Always follow your surgeon's instructions. If you think you're having an emergency, call 911.
Comments