Dr Schröder's blog

Once you leave the clinic:

• Make sure that someone comes and picks you up in a car, and refrain from driving yourself
• Make sure that you recline your car seat
• Make sure that you are not home alone for the first few days following the operation
• Allow the wound to heal for the first 2 to 3 weeks
• You are allowed to shower, as the nurses will give you a waterproof plaster to cover your wound before you leave the clinic
• You must not drive for 3 weeks, but you will be allowed to sit in the passenger seat while someone else drives you around
• You are allowed to do whatever you feel up to, as long as you keep listening to your body and stop doing whatever it is you are doing whenever your body tells you to stop

Your doctor, nurse and/or physiotherapist will provide you with more information on how to look after yourself following the operation.

Depends on the nature of the operation

The duration of your stay with us will depend on your situation and on the type of surgery you are undergoing. If everything goes according to plan, and if you are undergoing a minor back or neck operation, you will only have to stay with us for one night. If you are undergoing major surgery, such as a spinal instability operation, you will generally have to spend a few nights at our clinics.

Swelling reduced after 2 to 3 months

After the operation, your wound will swell, which may be painless but may also be a little uncomfortable due to your skin being pulled so taut. Generally speaking, the swelling will subside of its own accord within 2 to 3 months of the operation, and the skin will grow less thick.

Following the operation, you will be given painkillers for as long as you need them. You will receive these painkillers in accordance with a set schedule. It is vital that you take your medication at the scheduled times, even when you are not experiencing any pain. In this way, your body will build up a steady level of analgesia.

Most people will be able to stop taking painkillers a few days after undergoing back or neck surgery. If your painkillers somehow fail to provide you with a sufficient level of relief, we recommend that you notify a nurse as soon as possible. If you were on morphine-like medication prior to your operation, we advise that you gradually cut down on your medication after the operation, if your level of pain allows you to do so, in consultation with your GP. Acute withdrawal may result in adverse events.

If you are experiencing an excessive amount of pain, you will receive additional painkillers

The level of post-operative pain differs from person to person, and from operation to operation. Generally speaking, major lengthy operations will prove more painful than brief minor operations. At our clinics, all patients receive proper painkillers following surgery, as a result of which very few of our patients ever experience a great deal of pain. In consultation with yourself, we will determine your pain score, both at the ward and once you are home (we will call you to discuss this with you). If your pain score is too high, you will be given additional painkillers.