Most children will go home as soon as they are awake and able to drink liquids after the operation. If your child was born prematurely, or has other health problems, the surgeon may keep him or her in the hospital overnight to monitor his or her breathing.
- Pain Management
- Care for Dressings
- Swelling After Surgery
- Bathing Restrictions
- Activity Restrictions
- Do I see the surgeon again after the operation?
- When do I call the surgeon's office?
Pain Management
At the end of the operation, the surgeon will put a long-acting, numbing medication into the incision. Most children only need Acetaminophen (Tylenol®) or Ibuprophen (Motrin®) by mouth every four to six hours for the first 24 hours after surgery. If your child is still uncomfortable, call our office and we may prescribe something stronger.
Care for Dressings
Gauze and clear plastic dressings may be removed two days after surgery. Under the gauze, there may be a small amount of blood. This is normal. The skin surround the incision may be red and bruised, and the incision will be slightly swollen. Over the incision, there may be Steri-strips® that can be worn into the bath and can be removed one week after the operation.
In most operations, the wound is closed with dissolvable suture(stitches). These stitches are under the skin and do not have to be removed. In some children these stitches may come through the incision about 4 weeks postoperatively. This may be associated with a little local redness and pus and it may involve an end of the incision or a larger portion. This is normal and is best treated by gently cleansing the area with soap and water and waiting. When the suture falls out or completely dissolves, the wound will heal. If your child has worsening redness, swelling pain of the incision and a fever within 2 weeks of the operation, please call our office.
Swelling After Surgery
There will be some swelling at the incision. In boys, swelling of the scrotum is normal after the hernia surgery, and may take several weeks to go away completely. In girls, there may be some swelling in the skin folds below the incision. For both boys and girls, you will be able to feel a firm ridge under the incision that lasts several months. This is called a "healing ridge", and is where the tissues are sewn back together.
Bathing Restrictions
Your child may bathe or shower two days after surgery. Before then, he or she may take a sponge bath, but the Steri-strips® should be left on if they are present.
Activity Restrictions
There are no specific restrictions. Children will limit their own activity until they feel better, and most are back to normal activity in a day or two. Some children may require several days to feel better.
Do I see the surgeon again after the operation?
One or two weeks after the operation a nurse from our office will call you to see how your child is doing. A visit to our office about one month after the surgery is a good idea. Call our office if you’re worried about how things are going after the surgery.
Call our office at 415-476-2538 for the following:
- Any concerns you have about your child's recovery
- A temperature of 101°F or higher
- A red incision
- Increasing pain and tenderness at the incision
- Any liquid coming out of the incision