Top Tips for Surgery

[Miggsy]

Following on from an excellent suggestion in an earlier thread, can anyone with any tips for those planning to have surgery please post them here. If they relate to a specific location for surgery please note it in the details. Hopefully this thread can become a complete "tips" guide to anyone about to go in for surgery. Anyone care to start the ball rolling?

[Done_n_dusted]

I forgot all about this, sorry. As per my original tips (I had surgery with Levick and I guess some tips may be more relevant than others):

• Don't plan anything remotely active for at least two weeks after the op - I could just about drive after two weeks and it was still wasn't ideal, my left side was quite swollen and changing gear was a pain (literally).
• Order the compression vest well in advance - the main supplier Levick uses (EuroSurgical) does run out of stock on occasion
• Get a stage 2 compression vest - yes you can wear those Nike tight fitting things but if you can afford it I don't think there's any comparison between the two (I tried both).
• Shave chest and arm pit hair - pulling off the bandages when they're stuck to your arm pit hair isn't nice since that's where the wound is and it pulls against it.
• Have tops that can zip up at the front - because lifting you arms up after the up is pretty hard and sore
• Have slip on shoes or trainers handy - movement in the arms is very limited and I couldn't manage laces
• Have some clothes that won't show the compression vest - I found the shoulder straps wore quite poorly after a weeks constant wear and became quite prominent.
• Get a decent pillow for your bed - I couldn't sleep on my side for about 4 weeks, the 'v' shaped ones that pregnant women use work well.
• Prepare for "immobility" at home - this might sound strange but if you don't have someone to help you out round the house then opening that tin of beans on the top shelf becomes a military operation. Firstly you can't reach up to get it and secondly if you're like me you'll have the manual dexterity of a brick and won't be able to operate the tin opener! I found the bandaging very restrictive. It was much better after the first week though. Make sure you put essential items at home in easy reach and get food, drink etc that's easy to make and handle.

Probably most important:

• Have realistic expectations - accept that you'll probably never have perfect pecs and be clear when you discuss with the surgeon what results you expect after the op. The surgeon should give you an idea of what you can expect and if you choose to go ahead with the op and achieve that "look" you should be happy.
• Be patient - with Levick he's very clear that it can take a year or so before you achieve the final look, try not to stress if swelling comes and goes and accept this is a long process
• Brace yourself for a shock - when those bandages come over you'll most likely look like you've been steamrolled, don't panic your chest will start to fill out and look more normal in a week or so.

[Time_to_fix_it]

Miggsy, yours is an excellent idea as it will hopefully bring many peoples experiences together in one place and provide useful tips for anyone going for surgery.  It may require collating after a few weeks but that shouldn’t be a problem.

I can only relate to my surgery with Paul Levick, so my tips mainly refer to that.  Firstly I’d back up what Done_n_dusted says, although I think I was luckier than him as I had about 80% mobility when I was discharged so I could do most things with care.  The only things I can think of to add to what he says are:

•   If you are having surgery with a surgeon who is frequently referred to on here like Levick, Karadis or the Polish clinics, then consider reading the diaries of those of us who have made them, before you go into hospital yourself.  I was very grateful to those that made diaries with Levick as I knew EXACTLY what to expect when I turned up at the hospital.

•   Shave your back and shoulders as well because with Levicks bandages this is where the tape sticks to you as much as on your chest.

•   When it’s time to take the bandages off, soak yourself in a bath for 20 minutes beforehand.  I eased my bandages off while I was soaking and that way kept most of my skin on.  (Joke, it isn’t really that bad .. ouch)

•   Consider the vest from Underworks which has adjustable hook and eyes up the front.  The adjustment makes it easier to fit and you can vary the compression to suit yourself.  It doesn’t have any fastenings over the shoulder so it might make life easier to wear as well.  Another thing is when I looked at compression vests the Underworks ones were half the price of the UK ones and that even allowed for postage from the US!  Mine took 4 days to arrive.

•   If the compression vest chafes the skin under your arms, wear a thin cotton t-shirt under the compression vest.  It also stops the vest getting “high” because you can change the t-shirt daily.


Done_n_dusteds last 3 bullet points are exactly right, especially the last one (I like the analogy of the steam roller  .  When I took the bandages off, my first reaction was to head for the toilet as I thought I was going to throw up.  My second reaction was to lie down as I thought I might faint.  Now I am not normally queasy about such things, but when my bandages came off I looked an awful sight and I really wasn’t ready for it.  However as Done_n_dusted says, don’t panic as it doesn’t take too long for the bruising and squashed shape of your chest to sort itself out.

[kingboob]

bump