Your regular visits in the postoperative period will be arranged by my secretary Natalie Gordon. Your visits allow us to review your healing and answer any questions you may have concerning your procedure. Adhering to this schedule helps ensure you recovery uneventfully and return to work and play as soon as possible.
During your first postoperative visit I’ll remove the dressings and any drains you may have in the lower abdominal area. Your incisions will be inspected to ensure everything is healing as expected. You’ll still be a little sore and stiff. You can now begin showering normally.
Your second visit is usually about 1 month after your last visit and allows us to see if healing is progressing as expected. You will no longer require the compression garment after this visit. If there are no concerns you may return to your normal activities including strenuous activities and sports. Always begin slowly and progress weekly until you are pretty much back to normal by 2 to 3 months postoperatively.
The majority of the healing has taken place by this time but you will see steady improvements in your scars for almost 2 years!
We will decide together if your goals have been met and if any revisions are required. Minor alterations are usually performed under local anesthesia. More involved adjustments may require an outpatient procedure under a light general anesthetic.
Under most circumstances, this will be our last visit. We’ll ensure that your preoperative goals have been met and that you are satisfied with your result.
I very much encourage all my patients to return for regular visits at 1 to 2 year intervals to ensure proper healing. Sometimes the early detection of a problem can lead to a more simple solution.