Developing a symptom or problem after surgery or a medical procedure

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Developing a symptom or problem after surgery or a medical procedure

Your recovery from surgery may not follow the course your surgeon predicted. Other symptoms or problems may develop after your surgery even when you follow your surgeon's instructions. This can be very frustrating.

A new symptom or problem may mean that a complication has developed. Some signs of a complication are:

• Chest pain.
• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath.
• Disorientation or confusion.
• Unusual discomfort not relieved by the recommended dose of your pain medicine.
• Fever.
• Hiccups that last longer than 48 hours.
• Hives or a skin rash.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Inability to urinate.
• Swelling in the abdomen (distention).
• Difficulty having a bowel movement.
• Severe diarrhea (more than eight bowel movements in the past 24 hours).
• Surgical wound (incision) opening up or stitches coming out.
• Red streaks or puslike drainage from the incision site.
• Pain and swelling of one or both legs.
• Weakness on one side of the body or in one arm or leg.
• Yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes (jaundice).
• A problem with a wound drain or stoma.
• An abscess.
• A problem with a medical device that was placed during surgery.
• Calf pain. This may be a sign of a blood clot.
• Symptoms of a urinary tract infection.

Be sure to contact your surgeon if you develop an unexpected symptom or problem.

Credits

Last updated:	January 15, 2007
Author:	Jan Nissl, RN, BS
Reviewed By:	Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine, Brent Shoji, MD - General Surgery
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Tracy Landauer