New Options in Aftercare
Friends and family members who are responsible for the care of a loved one following surgery often end up anxious and tired. Until recently, it fell to friends and family to provide that care alone, to the best of their abilities, because aftercare choices have been limited. Ability nursing provides one-on-one care, individual attention, and medical expertise to help minimize your post-op discomfort, recognize possible complications, and reduce the strain and worry on your loved ones. At Ability Nursing we recognize the need for quality post-operative care. Our registered nursing staff specializes in the care of cosmetic surgery patients in their own homes or hotel rooms. Ability Nursing understands that plastic surgery is as serious as any other operation and your aftercare should be considered if you are thinking of undergoing a cosmetic procedure.
How Post-Operative Care in Your Home Works It is very important to follow your surgeon’s recommendations to stop certain medications, such as aspirin and other drugs that will affect clotting times during and after your surgery. Don’t forget to tell your surgeon about any vitamins and herbs you may be taking, as some can cause increased bleeding times. For example, vitamin E can decrease blood clotting ability (reduced platelet aggregation) and prolong bleeding time.
The process we follow at Ability Nursing begins when you call prior to your surgery. A registered nurse will get all of the pertinent information in that pre-operative call. The information we request is a history and physical, which alerts us to any existing medical problems that might affect your aftercare needs. We will need to know where you will be staying after surgery. We often work with patients in hotel rooms, since people sometimes choose surgeons that are far enough away that they cannot return home immediately. The registered nurse will review pre-op instructions with you, including reminding you to hydrate your body a few days before surgery to diminish dizziness and nausea after surgery. We will also remind you to make sure you have your post-op prescriptions filled before surgery and recommend that you bring them to surgery with you just in case we need to administer them on the drive home. It is also important to wear comfortable clothing that is easy to put on.
Once we have all the information required from you, we will call your surgeon’s office to verify your type of surgery, the surgery start and finish times, and your estimated discharge time. Your registered nurse will call you the night before surgery just to review information with you and to get any last minute instructions or requests.
The registered nurse can also assess post-op bleeding, manage and teach patients about drain care, assess vital signs, and administer pain and other post-op medications. The registered nurse gives you the same type of nursing care you receive in the hospital, except that with in-home care, you are the only patient.
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