Patients are up and walking on the same day, four to eight hours after the operation, or at the latest one day after the operation. The pain of patients after herniated disc surgery is treated with the PCA system applied by anesthesiologists, in this system the control of the pain is in the hands of the patient. The hospital stay is usually one or two days.
It is okay for the patient to go home by sitting in the car after discharge. Traveling with the front seat recline, if possible, will minimize the possibility of pain. Usually no stitches are required. Under normal conditions, patients come for control three months after back surgery.
Patients who are discharged can take a shower at home by removing the band from their waist after five days, standing at home and taking a shower instead of sitting and leaning forward. It is useful to have a bath mat to prevent the patient’s feet from slipping during the bath and to have a handle on the wall to hold on when necessary. A European toilet must be used for the toilet.
The patient’s bed should be a medium hard quality mattress, with a chipboard or wood underneath it; You should not sleep in places such as armchairs or sofas. The patient should mostly lie on his back, gather his feet towards himself or raise his legs slightly by supporting it with a cushion from below. When he gets tired in the supine position, he should rest by turning to the side. It is better to put a soft pillow between his legs when lying on his side. Never lie face down. When getting out of the bed, the patient should first turn on his side, then get into a sitting position with support from the side with his hands, and then get up with support from his knees. The sitting position should be slowly and controlled. They have to wait one month after the operation to start their sexual life. There is no harm in getting pregnant one and a half months after the operation.
Shoes should be worn sitting down, shoes with a medium heel should be preferred. If the patient has to climb stairs in the first two weeks, they should climb the steps one by one, like children. When buying something from a height, it should be tried to reach a suitable height and should not reach upwards. If a desk job is done, it can be started after a month. Those who work in heavier work conditions can return to work after 45 days. Long-term rest, on the one hand, leads to weakening of the muscles, on the other hand, negatively affects the psychology of the patient. Those working at desk jobs should use an orthopedic chair with movable lumbar support. The patient can eat while sitting in a chair. Should not gain weight, if there is excess weight should be tried to lose. For this, professional support should be obtained from the diet department.
No weight should be carried for the first 45 days, and then no more than five kg in total should be carried on both hands equally. When lifting weights, he should squat down and lift the weight as close to his body as possible. He should not drive for the first month after the operation, and then use it for short distances. Long-distance journeys should be made after the 45th day and short walking breaks should be given every hour and a half. Short-haul plane trips can be made after the first week, while longer trips should be made after the first 45 days and again take off every hour and a half.
Back exercises should start after the 60th day. It will be sufficient to do each movement five times a day for a month first, and then increase the number of movements by five each month in the next period. The waist exercise brochure, which can be downloaded from our website, has been prepared by the Turkish Neurosurgery Association. Physical contact sports should be avoided after surgery, and sports such as walking and swimming should be preferred. Worship should be done lying down or sitting. Strengthening the waist, back and abdominal muscles; In order to increase the flexibility of joints and soft tissues, necessary sports and movements should be continued for life. Exercises should be done on a hard surface in a clean environment, not on soft or deformable mattresses. Normally, the existing pain should not increase during or after the movements. Therefore, if severe discomfort lasting more than 15 minutes occurs after exercise, a doctor should be consulted.
