5 Post-Surgery Recovery Myths Debunked

There’s a lot of outdated and inaccurate advice surrounding post-op recovery. Friends, family or strangers may mean well, but could be doing more harm than good by making you believe these myths. 

If you are about to undergo surgery or you’ve just had an operation, make sure to not fall victim to these common words of misguidance. 

Myth #1: You should stay in bed and avoid any physical activity

Doctors used to recommend total bed rest after surgery a century ago. However, it’s been proved to not be healthy in many cases – extended inactivity can cause other problems to develop such as blood clots, muscle weakness and weight gain that can slow healing and lead to other complications.

Instead, a medical team will usually recommend gentle movement including leg and ankle exercises in bed. As soon as it’s safe to stand up and walk, you should do it – working with a physiotherapist to restore movement early is often critical following major surgery. Of course, you shouldn’t push yourself recklessly, as this will lead to more injuries – the key is gentle guided activity opposed to lying still.

Myth #2: You should avoid chicken and seafood

This one stems from Ancient Chinese medicine – there is no scientific evidence to support it, so it is commonly regarded as a myth. In fact, lean proteins like chicken and fish can be very helpful to eat during recovery because they assist with tissue repair and help you maintain muscle mass.

Only avoid chicken and seafood if you have allergies or if a dietician or surgeon gives you direct instructions (which is rare).

Myth #3: Surgery scars will be prominent

Modern surgery methods now enable many surgery cuts to be small and subtle. While some ops may result in unavoidable large scars, a lot of scarring can now be carefully hidden. A surgeon will be able to give you a good idea as to what scars will look like.

Factors such as how well the wound is looked after can greatly impact how well it looks after it heals. Avoiding sun exposure on fresh scars is also recommended so that they don’t darken.

Myth #4: Infections are normal after surgery

Surgery scars can get infected, but this is actually quite rare nowadays due to sterile techniques and careful post-op care. If you do get an infection, it is not something to shrug off as ‘normal’ and you should not expect it to get better on its own. Talk to your doctor immediately, as further treatment may be needed to counter the infection.

Infections can be caused by poor aftercare, but can also be caused by surgical errors. If you suspect negligence, consider hiring a team of experienced medical malpractice attorneys to seek compensation – especially if you’ve had to undergo further surgery or take further time off work. 

Myth #5: Anaesthesia takes several days to wear off

There are stories of people feeling the effects of anaesthesia for weeks, but in most cases effects wear off in a day or two, with most medicines leaving the system within hours.

You may feel tired and groggy, but otherwise shouldn’t feel any long-term effects. If you do continue to feel confused or ‘out of it’, consult a doctor, as there may be another cause.