Post Operative Care
Your Care After Surgery
Thank you for choosing CompleteENT for your surgical care. This information is designed to help make your postoperative recovery as smooth and straightforward as possible.
Any Questions or Problems?
- For non-urgent questions please call the main office number on 07 3905 5999 (for Brisbane) or 07 4019 7830 (for Cairns) during business hours.
- For urgent questions during business hours please call the main office numbers above.
- For urgent questions after hours please contact the After Hours OnCall Surgeon. The surgeon will give you the after hours contact number before discharge. It is also recorded on our answering service.
Discharge Plan
You will often be given your appointment details before discharge, if you do not have these details please call CompleteENT to confirm the appointment date, time and location.
Your surgeon will discuss a plan for medications to take at home. Patients require pain relief, and sometimes additional prescribed or over the counter medications such as antibiotics or nasal saline rinse.
If you require a medical certificate for your surgery please ask your surgeon during your hospital stay. If you did not receive one please call CompleteENT and this can be posted to you.
What to Expect
Most patients should take paracetamol (Panadol) 4 times every day during the healing period. This helps with pain and swelling, but also increases the effectiveness of other forms of pain relief.
It is important to return to a normal diet as soon after surgery as possible. Your surgeon will discuss whether there is any need to modify your diet in the post-operative period.
Your surgeon will discuss postoperative care instructions. Some patients will have sutures or splints that need to be removed at the first postoperative appointment. Other patients will have absorbable sutures or dissolvable internal nasal dressings that do not require removal. Please keep the surgical site clean and dry, as directed by your surgeon.
We want you to recover as quickly as possible, but restarting strenuous activity too early increases the risk of problems after surgery. For most patients this means that following surgery you should avoid heavy lifting or physical exertion. Please discuss specific questions with your surgeon.
Following general anaesthesia patients should wait 24 hours before driving. We recommend you plan for a friend or family member to drive you home from the hospital, even if leaving the following day. Patients undergoing day surgery procedures under general anaesthesia will require a family member or support person to accompany them home and remain with them until 24 hours after surgery. Some post-operative medications also impair driving ability. Your surgeon or pharmacist will discuss these medications with you.
Specific Medications
Your surgeon will discuss a plan for medications to take at home. Patients require pain relief, and sometimes additional prescribed or over the counter medications such as antibiotics or nasal saline rinse.
Many patients will be prescribed oxycodone (Endone), which should be taken as directed. This can cause drowsiness, nausea or constipation. Patients should not drive when taking oxycodone.
Ibuprofen (Nurofen) is an anti-inflammatory pain relief medication. It is an effective pain relief option, but also has effects on the coagulation system so must not be taken unless recommended by your surgeon. Ibuprofen may be taken 3 times daily.
After nasal surgery many patients require nasal saline rinses. Normal nasal mucous production and circulation is interrupted by surgery, and regular nasal saline rinse helps decrease congestion and promote healing. It is important that the saline is sterile, which can be achieved by boiling the water and allowing it to cool, before adding the medication sachet.
Antibiotic ear drops are prescribed for some patients following ear surgery. Please use as directed. Antibiotic ear drops should be stored in a cool dry place away from direct sunlight. Once opened they should only be used for the recommended duration.