Diet: 

You may resume your usual diet once nausea has ceased.  If nauseated, start with clear liquids (tea, broth, jello) and advance slowly to more solid foods.

Activity:

• You may experience dizziness, drowsiness or light-headedness after anesthesia or sedation.  Do not drive or operate power equipment for 24 hours.  Do not engage in activities that require coordination or the ability to respond quickly.
• Rest with the operative arm elevated as much as possible for the next 2 days.
• Apply ice packs over your dressing or splint intermittently for the next 24 hours and longer as needed.
• Observe your fingers for color, warmth, swelling, and numbness.  If they are pale, cold, very swollen, or excessively painful, call Dr. Yang at once.
• No lifting, loading or straining with your operative arm until approved by Dr. Yang.  Start gentle range of motion of your free un-splinted joints, please.
• If you have received a nerve block, you may experience numbness and tingling for 24-36 hours.  Your fingers may appear flush and warm to the touch.

Dressing:

Leave your dressings in place until your post-operative appointment!  Keep your dressings clean and dry.  You may shower or sponge bathe tomorrow, but the dressings must stay dry; wrap the dressings with plastic and tape.

Medications:

Take your prescription(s) as directed on the bottle.  Take your pain medication(s) with food to prevent nausea.  Pain medications may cause constipation, so a stool softener may be helpful.  No driving or drinking alcoholic beverages while taking pain medication.  You may continue taking your usual medications.  Consult Dr. Yang if you have questions about resuming aspirin or other blood thinners. 

If you were given a prescription for either Percocet or Norco, do not take extra Tylenol until you are finished with this pain medication.  These medications contain Tylenol and an overdose of Tylenol can occur if you take both at the same time.

Report any of the following to Dr. Yang:

• Persistent nausea or vomiting
• Chills and/or persistent fever over 101 degrees
• Persistent bleeding that keeps the dressing wet
• Increased pain or swelling that is not relieved by rest, elevation of the arm and prescribed pain medication
• Redness with swelling and/or persistent drainage at the procedure site
• Increased numbness, coldness or tingling of the extremity
• Pain with swelling, heat or redness at the IV site
• Difficulty breathing, shortness of breath or chest pain – call 911
• Calf pain, swelling or redness

Follow-up:

Call Dr. Yang’s office for a return appointment.  You are to be seen as scheduled usually about 10-14 days after surgery.  You can schedule online at carolynyangmd.com through the patient portal or call (503) 239-8430 for an appointment.