What to Expect for Out of Town Patients

Day #3: Your First Post-Op Day

You should feel pretty good the morning following your surgery. Most women, though not “back to normal” report some fatigue but generally are not experiencing any significant pain or soreness. Your bleeding should be improved compared to the previous day. There is no “typical bleeding pattern” from this point onwards but most women will be changing pads every 1 ½ to 2 hours for the first 24-48 hours.

You will have an appointment for your first postoperative day. Here’s what you can expect.

  1. We will perform an ultrasound to establish a “baseline” of what your uterus looks like 24 hours after surgery.  You will have a “hematometra” – however this is an expected finding at this time and will disappear over the next few months.   
  2. We will review your surgery including unedited videos.* We will also review any JPEGs that have been taken during your surgery.*
  3. Please provide us with a flash drive so that we can download this information for you to share with your physician (if you choose).*
  4. I will review your findings and answer specific questions regarding your expectations.
  5. You will be given copies of your operative report and any other notes you might wish.*
  6. You can expect that your pathology report will be mailed to you within the next 7-10 days.*
  7. If you are driving back to your destination please remember to stop every 2-3 hours to stretch your legs.*
  8. If you are traveling by air we will have already discussed how to best manage your trip back home.*

From this point on…

Your care isn’t over when you’ve left our office. It’s important for you to maintain contact with us. Because there are so many variables in taking care of women you will be given specific instructions that are relevant to your care. In general you can expect the following:

  1. Your first postoperative visit in 2 weeks following your surgery.  This does not necessarily apply to our out of town patients.
  2. Your second postoperative visit 3-4 months following your surgery.  If you are traveling from a considerable distance we will make specific recommendations for you.
  3. Bleeding –including mild vaginal discharge—should last up to 3 weeks following your surgery
  4. Fairly rapid return to full activity, including exercise, within 48 hours from your surgery.
  5. Return to sexual activity within 3 weeks following surgery.  This is highly variable, however, and should be discussed individually.