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| INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE and AFTER ANAL or RECTAL SURGERY |
Before Surgery:
- DO NOT eat or drink after midnight the night before surgery.
- The MORNING OF SURGERY:
- You may take your usual medications with a small amount of water. DO NOT EAT BREAKFAST.
- Please arrive at __________________________________ hospital at _________________
- No Aspirin for 5 to 7 days before and after procedure. Coumadin must be stopped. Discuss timing with Doctor NOW.
General Information:
- YOU MUST HAVE SOMEONE AVAILABLE TO DRIVE YOU HOME.
- You will have pain in the first 3-5 days following surgery. You will be relatively comfortable about the 7th - 10th day.
- A small amount of blood during bowel movements is normal.
- Anal discharge is normal.
- The swollen lumps you feel or see in the anal region are not hemorrhoids; they are swollen skin tags. These will gradually get smaller.
- Within 24 hours of surgery you may remove the packing while sitting in the tub or on a sitz bath
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- The day after your surgery, please call the office for a follow-up appointment, 3 to 4 weeks post surgery.
Medications:
- Take your pain medication ONLY AS NEEDED. Follow the directions on the bottle.
- Take stool softeners DAILY, (Colace 200 mg) if your stool is not soft.
- Resume all your other medications, EXCEPT for blood thinning drugs such as Coumadin or Aspirin.
- DO NOT use any suppositories.
Activity:
- You may do whatever does not cause you discomfort.
- DO NOT do any heavy lifting or strenuous activity for 7-10 days.
- You may drive whenever you feel comfortable.
- You may have sex whenever you feel comfortable.
- DO NOT use a rubber ring.
- Most people return to work within 7 days. If this is not possible you must be seen in the office.
Diet:
- You may eat whatever does not bother you; but in addition, you MUST INCREASE the fiber content of your diet. This means you should eat more raw vegetables, fresh fruit and bran cereals.
- For the 1st 24 hours, drink as LITTLE as possible. Afterwards, drink a MINIMUM of 10 glasses of fluids daily.
- A fiber product (Metamucil, etc.) should be taken at least 1-2 times per day.
Anal Care:
- DO NOT use Vaseline, ointments, creams or Tucks.
- Keep the anal area clean and dry by placing a small piece of dry cotton against the anal opening at all times.
- Change the cotton several times per day.
- Take warm sitz baths 3-4 times a day (no additives are necessary), especially after each bowel movement, 15 minutes at a time. The water temperature should be as hot as you can tolerate. Check the temperature of the water with your elbow. You will find the sitz bath soothing and relaxing.
- Avoid using soap over the anal area.
- Consider buying a sitz bath kit at your local pharmacy.
Bowel Movements:
- DO NOT STRAIN during a bowel movement. It is best to wait for the urge.
- DO NOT SIT on the toilet for more than 5 minutes.
- Following each bowel movement, DO NOT wipe or rub your anal area, try to take a shower or sitz bath. If you cannot do either of these, then wet the toilet paper and DAB the anal region clean. Pat dry afterwards.
- If after 2 days you do not have a bowel movement, take 3 tablespoons of Milk of Magnesia at 8 pm. If no results by 10 am the next day, take an additional dose of Milk of Magnesia. If no results by 5pm take 8 ounces of Magnesium Citrate (purchase at your pharmacy over the counter).
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