COMMON POSTOPERATIVE SYMPTOMS

1. Nausea and vomiting occur frequently and may be due to:
   • Reaction to the anesthetic or drugs used.
   • Dilation of the stomach
   • Due to handling of intra-abdominal organs.
   • Taking too much fluid or eating too much, too soon after surgery.
   • Passing a tube by mouth for a twenty-four-hour period can often control nausea and vomiting. During this time, the patient is fed intravenously.
2. Gas pains follow most abdominal operations. They will pass within a few days. If the abdomen becomes markedly distended, relief can be obtained by inserting a rubber tube into the rectum or by passing a stomach tube. A rectal tube will aid the passage of gas until such time- usually the 3^rd day - as the intestines regain their ability to function normally.
3. Pain in the wound area is universal. This is controlled by the administration of narcotics or sedatives.
4. Dizziness and weakness are an accompaniment of some types of major surgery. These symptoms will disappear within a week or two without treatment.
5. Headache occurs in about one of twenty people who have had a spinal anesthesia. A large fluid intake plus special medications will usually cause it to subside. These people feel best when lying flat in bed, but they should not hesitate to get up and move about when the headache subsides. Such headaches may not entirely disappear for a week or two after operation.