Jamie Fletcher
Our Favorite Products for After Surgery
When it comes to planning for surgery, you’ve probably run through all the “non-negotiable” items to have on hand after your procedure: things like various medications, ice packs, & antiseptic supplies to keep things clean as your wound heals up. But if this is your first surgery or the first one in quite some time, there are a few products we think make recovery more comfortable. Today, we’re bringing you a list of our favorite products for after surgery that you may not have thought of when planning your post-op game plan. Not only are these items convenient to get ahold of (we’re big fans of online shopping, especially when mobility is limited & a “real-life” trip to the store is out of the question), but we guarantee that each will make for a much more pleasant post-op recuperation!
Must-Have Products for After Surgery
1.Hand Sanitizer and Antibacterial Soap
Your physician most likely talked to you about the importance of keeping your surgical wound clean to prevent infection. However, your doctor may not have filled you in on the importance of keeping your hands extra clean as well.
When you’re resting and recovering post-op, it’s very common to experience a bit of itchiness and discomfort around the wound site, especially when stitches are involved. When an itch arises, it’s hard to fight the impulse to scratch.
After a few hours of channel surfing using a germ-infested television remote, or after giving fido or fluffy some ear scratches and belly rubs, your hands could be riddled with bacteria that are dangerous when exposed to an open wound. Let’s avoid infection (and with it, a much slower recovery!) by keeping our hands clean as a whistle while we’re on the mends. These two products for after surgery get high-marks for the pleasant scents and the use of more gentle ingredients!
Hand Sanitizer:
Antibacterial Soap:
2. Specialty Pillows
Depending on the type of surgery you have, it can be challenging to get comfortable. Not only is this frustrating, but it can actually slow recovery if tossing and turning keeps you from getting quality sleep since most tissue growth & repair takes place while we catch our nightly zzz’s.
If you’re prepping for a procedure that will limit your range of motion & will likely involve a great deal of swelling, we recommend these two pillows for after surgery to help you get snug and cozy while you heal.
Wedge Pillow:
Travel Neck Pillow:
3. Dry Shampoo & Long-Handled Loofah
Showering can be a hassle and a half after surgery, with some procedures making it more difficult than others. You might not be allowed to shower at all for a few days post-op to keep any sutures sterile and dry. To help navigate this cleanliness conundrum, we’re sharing two products for after surgery to keep you feeling fresh while you rest: dry shampoo to manage the mane and an extra-long loofa so you can reach every nook and cranny while your mobility is limited.
Dry Shampoo
Long Handled Loofah
4. Convenient, Tasty, Fiber-Filled Snacks
Since most surgeries require anesthesia and the use of narcotics to manage post-op pain, patients often face a not-so-fun side effect that can come with both medications: post-op constipation. To help manage the bed-rest back-up, we’ve compiled a few of our favorite packaged, fiber-filled snacks that are easy to munch on while you’re recovering.
Fiber-Protein Bar:
Dang Coconut Chips:
Three Dads Popcorn:
5. An Extra-Long Phone Charger
We get it, hours of bed rest can get pretty old, pretty fast. Fortunately, smartphones offer a world of entertainment, right at our fingertips. Whether you’re next to an outlet or not, this extra-long charger will keep your iPhone juiced up so you’ll have access to news, games, social media, and emails, right from your couchside recovery set up. Plus, it’s always nice to call or FaceTime friends and family to catch up, especially when you have some extra time on your hands (that’s your subtle nudge to call grandma!).
6. An insulated Water-Bottle
Staying hydrated after surgery is a must since it plays a huge role in healing. Proper hydration boosts blood circulation, helping to combat blood clots for those at risk & also boosts the rate of tissue regeneration, leading to a smoother, speedier recovery. Another bonus of a bumped-up fluid intake post-op is that it can “keep things moving” to prevent a post-op digestion dilemma, which is important for staying comfortable while you recoup.
Getting up and down to refill our cups or to replace the ice in our drinks just isn’t realistic for most while recovering, so keeping an insulated water-bottle nearby filled with cool water can boost the comfort and convenience of couch-time rest.
7. A Weighted Blanket
Recently, there’s been a lot of talk and some research to investigate the benefits of using a weighted blanket to manage anxiety and stress. While we still need more evidence to draw any firm conclusions, many people do report feeling more at ease when tucked under a weighted blanket versus a traditional set of covers.
Since we know that post-op recovery can be mentally taxing, it may be worth giving this product a shot when feelings of stress start to seep in. If nothing else, these blankets make for extra-snuggly rest!