Post-op Instructions

*Instructions regarding your post-operative care will be discussed with you prior to discharge from the hospital. The information below is to be used as a guideline. If you have any questions, we ask and encourage you to call our office.

Post-op Lung surgery

Call our office to make or confirm an appointment with your surgeon 2-3 weeks after surgery.
You may resume normal diet and activity as tolerated, but avoid heavy lifting (greater than 10 pounds).
Take medications prescribed as discussed prior to discharge from the hospital.
You may shower once you remove the dressing from the chest tube site (24-48 hours after chest tube removal). Use mild soap and water, allow water to rinse the incisional sites. Towel dry by lightly “patting” incisional areas. And leave incisions open to air, do not use any ointments or oils, unless otherwise instructed to do so by your surgeon.
Do not soak in a bathtub, go swimming in a pool or ocean until cleared by your surgeon
Pain medications can cause constipation. If you have not had a bowel movement in 2-3 days and are taking oral narcotics, increase your oral fluid intake, eat a high fiber diet, and/or take over the counter stool softeners and/or laxatives.
If you have a fever (>101F), shortness of breath, yellow or foul smelling drainage from your incisional site(s) please call our office immediately.
If you were discharged with a Heimlich valve or pneumostat:
- Please change the chest tube dressing daily or as needed with gauze and tape.
- Empty the specimen container when it is half full or as needed.
  - With the Heimlich valve and luken’s trap, twist off the bottom collection container and empty contents.
  - With the pneumostat, wipe the port with an alcohol swab, then use a needleless luer lock syringe to empty the collection chamber.

Post-op pleurX insertion

Call our office to make or confirm an appointment with your surgeon 3-4 weeks after surgery.
Drain the pleurX at intervals ordered by the doctor.
Please follow pleurX drainage instructions given to you or click here for further assistance. This video also depicts how to correctly drain your pleurX catheter.
Keep a log of the output and bring this log with you to office visits.
You may shower 24 hours after the pleurX is inserted. Do not soak in a bathtub, go swimming in a pool or ocean until cleared by your surgeon.
Call our office with any issues or concerns with regard to pleural fluid drainage.

Post op Tracheal T tube insertion

Call our office to make or confirm an appointment with your surgeon for follow up bronchoscopy.
Clean T tube site with mild soap and water.
Instill saline into the T tube and cough to loosen secretions twice a day.
Monitor for signs of infection such as redness, drainage, especially drainage that becomes yellow or green, fever.

Post-op Esophagectomy

Call our office to make or confirm an appointment with your surgeon 2-3 weeks after surgery.
Continue specified diet (either clear or full liquid) as discussed with you prior to your discharge.
Jejunostomy tube (J tube) feeds will continue during the night time, similar as the schedule you had in the hospital.
Flush your J tube at least every 6 hours and before and after giving medications through the tube with 60mL of water.
Clean your J tube site with mild soap and water, and dry thoroughly every day.
Empty the JP drain as needed, this will likely be removed during your first post-operative visit.
Clean the area around the JP drain insertion site with soap and water, and dry thoroughly every day.
Take medications prescribed as discussed prior to discharge from the hospital.
You may shower once you remove the dressing from the chest tube site (24-48 hours after chest tube removal). Use mild soap and water, allow water to rinse the incisional sites. Towel dry by lightly “patting” incisional areas. And leave incisions open to air, do not use any ointments or oils, unless otherwise instructed to do so by your surgeon.
If you have a fever (>101F), shortness of breath, yellow or foul smelling drainage from your incisional site(s) please call our office immediately.

Post-op Hiatal hernia repair, myotomy, esophageal diverticulum

Call our office to make or confirm an appointment with your surgeon 2-3 weeks after surgery.
You may resume diet as discussed with your provider, usually a full liquid, and activity as tolerated, but avoid heavy lifting (greater than 10 pounds).
Take medications prescribed as discussed prior to discharge from the hospital.
You may shower. Use mild soap and water, allow water to rinse the incisional sites. Towel dry by lightly “patting” incisional areas. And leave incisions open to air, do not use any ointments or oils, unless otherwise instructed to do so by your surgeon.
Do not soak in a bathtub, go swimming in a pool or ocean until cleared by your surgeon.
Pain medications can cause constipation. If you have not had a bowel movement in 2-3 days and are taking oral narcotics, increase your oral fluid intake, and/or take over the counter stool softeners and/or laxatives.
If you have a fever (>101F), shortness of breath, yellow or foul smelling drainage from your incisional site(s) please call our office immediately.

Post op LINX placement

Call our office to make or confirm an appointment with your surgeon 3-4 weeks after surgery.
Post-operative diet adherence is very important. Please follow the attached LINX diet guidelines.
- Overview: eat small frequent meals every 2-3 hours and eat one tablespoon of yogurt, applesauce, or custard consistency food every hour for the first 6-8 weeks after your surgery.
Take medications prescribed as discussed prior to discharge from the hospital.
You may shower. Use mild soap and water, allow water to rinse the incisional sites. Towel dry by lightly “patting” incisional areas. And leave incisions open to air, do not use any ointments or oils, unless otherwise instructed to do so by your surgeon.
Do not soak in a bathtub, go swimming in a pool or ocean until cleared by your surgeon.
Pain medications can cause constipation. If you have not had a bowel movement in 2-3 days and are taking oral narcotics, increase your oral fluid intake, eat a high fiber diet, and/or take over the counter stool softeners and/or laxatives.
If you have a fever (>101F), shortness of breath, yellow or foul smelling drainage from your incisional site(s) please call our office immediately.

Post op Thymectomy

Call our office to make or confirm an appointment with your surgeon 2-3 weeks after surgery.
You may resume normal diet and activity as tolerated, but avoid heavy lifting (greater than 10 pounds).
Take medications prescribed as discussed prior to discharge from the hospital.
If you had a chest tube, you may shower once you remove the dressing from the chest tube site (24-48 hours after chest tube removal). Use mild soap and water, allow water to rinse the incisional sites. Towel dry by lightly “patting” incisional areas. And leave incisions open to air, do not use any ointments or oils, unless otherwise instructed to do so by your surgeon.
Do not soak in a bathtub, go swimming in a pool or ocean until cleared by your surgeon.
Pain medications can cause constipation. If you have not had a bowel movement in 2-3 days and are taking oral narcotics, increase your oral fluid intake, eat a high fiber diet, and/or take over the counter stool softeners and/or laxatives.
If you have a fever (>101F), shortness of breath, yellow or foul smelling drainage from your incisional site(s) please call our office immediately.