A fibroid surgery, known as myomectomy, helps to remove the fibroids from the uterus. The fibroid surgery recovery time will depend on your overall health and the way your body handles the surgery. The physician’s goal during myomectomy would be to simply take fibroids that are symptom-causing out and reconstruct the uterus. Contrary to a hysterectomy, which removes your whole uterus, a myomectomy removes only the fibroids and leaves your uterus. Women who experience myomectomy report advancement in symptoms, such as decreased heavy menstrual bleeding and pelvic pressure. The fibroid removal surgery recovery time will also depend on the method used for the surgery. Once you are sent home and are recovering, it is important to follow your doctor and surgeon’s advice. Here are some of myomectomy recovery tips that will help you take care of yourself while you are recovering from the surgery.
Managing The Pain
1. Pain Medication
Ask your doctor about myomectomy recovery tips and pain medications, which will help to ease the pain and discomfort for the first few days. You will experience the most pain and discomfort after the first 2 to 3 days after the fibroid surgery recovery process, after which it will start to go down. It is normal to have some cramps or sudden sharp pains till a few days after your surgery is done, even in areas that are a little away from the area of the incision, but this is normal too. Make sure you do not drive while you are on pain killers, as they can often make you drowsy.
2. Discomfort In Moving
You may find it a little painful to move around, especially when you are turning or lowering yourself. You may also feel the pain when you try to get up from a sitting or lying down position. Instead of using your stomach area or abs to pull or turn your body, take the support of your arms. Hold on to something and then move, so that the stomach or pelvic area does not feel the pressure. This will help you reduce the pain.
3. Discomfort While Urinating
It is also possible that you may experience some discomfort while you urinate. You could feel a burning or itching sort of sensation, and in some cases, you could also feel a pain in the surrounding area. Make sure you avoid taking caffeine till the time your recovery after myomectomy is complete, as it can sometimes trigger the burning or itching sensation. Speak to your doctor about the pain medication.
4. Pain In The Shoulder
During surgery, the doctors administer carbon dioxide in the abdomen. If some amount of carbon dioxide remains in the body, it can cause pressure to the nerves that are present under the diaphragm, and also lead to pain in the shoulder area. You will most likely feel the pain in the first few days after the surgery when it can be quite sharp. However, it will gradually reduce in the next few days. It is a normal phenomenon which is noticed during fibroid removal surgery recovery time.
Physical Activity
1. Walking
Walking is one of the best exercises that can help you recover and stay fit after a fibroid surgery. Make sure you speak to your doctor about it. It is generally considered safe to start walking from the very next day after the surgery, depending upon fibroid surgery recovery time some patients are allowed to walk even on the first day itself.
2. Avoid Strenuous Exercise Or Sex
Make sure to avoid any type of strenuous activity that can put pressure on the incision area. For a few weeks after the surgery, avoid doing any type of heavy exercising and avoid lifting heavy weights of any type. Your doctor will most likely tell you about this, during your fibroid surgery recovery time it is important to stay away from sex for at least 4 to 6 weeks after your surgery. You may speak to your doctor about the same.
3. Avoid Showers
For the first 2 to 3 weeks after you have your surgery, make sure you do not take a shower. However, you clean yourself by taking a regular bath, but make sure you keep the incision area dry, else it can get infected. If you find it difficult to take a bath without wetting the area, try taking a sponge bath instead.
4. Feeling Tired
Even when you rest and sleep well, it is natural for you to feel really tired for at least a few weeks after the surgery. Make sure you do not do anything that can exert you or make you feel overly tired. While exercising or doing anything, do so for a small amount of time and then take a break. If you feel the fatigue is interfering with your daily life a lot, speak to your doctor about it.
Periods, Incision And Bowel
1. Periods
You will experience some spotting, bleeding or even a clump sort of discharge for the first few weeks after the surgery. This is absolutely normal, but if it is accompanied with a lot of pain or discomfort, do speak to your doctor. The first 3 to 4 menstrual cycles can be different, either too long or short, or heavy or light, but they will return to normal after that.
2. Incision
You may notice some sort of bruising around the incision area, and this is quite normal. Using an ice pack will help to soothe the area and reduce bruising or itching, but do speak to your doctor about it.
3. Bowel
Avoid foods that could lead to gas and cause discomfort. If you do feel any discomfort or pain due to gas buildup, walking or lying down on your back and bending your legs can help. If nothing helps, check with your doctor. You can also experience bloating, which is quite normal after this surgery and will go away on its own.
You can get in touch with our doctors to understand how you can best take care of yourself during your recovery time. Slow exercise, as well as the right diet after fibroid surgery and rest, will also help your body heal faster and will also reduce your fibroid removal surgery recovery time.