You will get oxygen through a thin tube that rests below your nose called a nasal cannula. You will also have compression boots on your lower legs. You will also have a chest tube that goes into a drainage device see Figure 1. You may stay in the PACU for a few hours or overnight, depending on when an inpatient bed becomes available. After your stay in the PACU, you will be taken to your hospital room.
Tell the nurse if you drink alcohol every day or if you have recently stopped drinking alcohol. Tell the nurse if you smoke or if you have recently quit smoking. Your nurse will explain the best way to recover from your surgery. Below are examples of ways you can help yourself recover safely. Read our resource Call! Don't Fall! You will have some pain after your surgery. Your doctor and nurse will ask you about your pain often and give you medication as needed. You may get a prescription for pain medication before you leave the hospital.
Talk with your doctor or nurse about possible side effects and when you should start switching to over-the-counter pain medications. A chest tube is a flexible tube that drains blood, fluid, and air from around your lung after surgery. The tube enters your body between your ribs and goes into the space between your chest wall and lung see Figure 1. Your chest tube will be removed when your lung is no longer leaking air and the drainage from your tube has decreased enough.
After the tube is removed, the area will be covered with a bandage. Keep the bandage on for at least 48 hours, unless your nurse gives you other instructions.
Most people go home the same day that their chest tube is removed. Sometimes, your doctor may want you to stay in the hospital for another day after your chest tube is removed. Look at your incisions with your nurse before you leave the hospital. Walking helps prevent blood clots in your legs. It also lowers your risk of having other complications such as pneumonia. Your doctor or nurse will give you more information. Your nurse or doctor will tell you what day and time you can expect to be discharged.
Your doctor will talk with you if you need to stay in the hospital longer than planned. Examples of things that can cause you to stay in the hospital longer include:. Do not drive while taking pain medicine. Sleeping Try to get eight hours of sleep each night. For the first weeks after going home, you may have trouble sleeping for more than hours at a time. This will get better as you heal and become more active. You can sleep in any position that is comfortable.
Some patients need to sleep sitting in an upright position at first. It may be painful to sleep on your side, but it will not hurt your heart or incisions. Showering You can shower as usual. The dressing over the chest tube site should stay in place for 48 hours after going home. When you take off the bandage, shower, pat wounds dry and then place a Band-Aid or piece of dry gauze over the incisions if there is any drainage.
As you become more active, there might be some clear yellow fluid from this area. Drainage may continue for up to two weeks. Use a dressing, as needed, to protect your clothes. Leave the steri-strip dressing on. You may take this dressing off after seven days; otherwise it will be removed at your follow-up visit. If staples were used, they will be removed at your follow-up visit. Constipation Constipation is sometimes a problem after surgery because anesthesia and pain medicine can affect your bowels.
Thoracotomies are often used to treat or diagnose a problem with one of these organs or structures. The most common reason to have a thoracotomy is to treat lung cancer , as the cancerous part of the lung can be removed through the incision.
It can also be used to treat some heart and chest conditions. Lung cancer is the second most common form of cancer.
The American Cancer Society estimates that in there will be approximately , new cases of lung cancer in the United States. Removal of a rib, or part of a rib or resection, may be necessary if the bone has fractured in a way that means it might puncture an organ.
In an emergency situation, such as when someone has a chest injury, a thoracotomy may be needed to resuscitate them. Before undergoing a thoracotomy, a person will be put under general anesthetic. They may also be given an epidural, which delivers pain medication into the spine. These measures ensure the person is asleep and unable to feel anything during the surgery. To carry out a thoracotomy, the doctor will make an incision in the chest.
There are different places on the chest that the incision can be made, depending on the reason for the thoracotomy. During the operation, a tube is passed down the windpipe to enable the lung being operated on to be deflated. When this is happening, a mechanical device keeps the other lung inflated.
If a person is being treated for lung cancer, there are different procedures available, depending on the severity and location of the cancer. When a person is being treated for lung cancer, the doctor may carry out one of the following procedures:. A thoracotomy requires a person to be put under general anesthetic so that they are not awake during the procedure and do not feel any pain.
During the operation, there is a risk of hemorrhage or excess bleeding. This is because the lungs have many blood vessels that may be damaged during the procedure. How can you care for yourself at home? Rest when you feel tired. Getting enough sleep will help you recover. Try to walk each day. Start by walking a little more than you did the day before. Bit by bit, increase the amount you walk. Walking boosts blood flow and helps prevent pneumonia and constipation. Do not smoke or allow others to smoke around you.
If you need help quitting, talk to your doctor about stop-smoking programs and medicines. These can increase your chances of quitting for good. Try to avoid being around people who you know have a cold, the flu, or other illness. Avoid strenuous activities, such as bicycle riding, jogging, weight lifting, or aerobic exercise, until your doctor says it is okay.
Also avoid swimming, tennis, golf, or other activities that could strain your arm and shoulder muscles, until your doctor says it is okay. Until your doctor says it is okay, avoid lifting anything that would make you strain. This may include a child, heavy grocery bags and milk containers, a heavy briefcase or backpack, cat litter or dog food bags, or a vacuum cleaner. If your incision is in the front or the side of your chest, hold a pillow over the incision when you cough or take deep breaths.
This will support your chest and decrease your pain. Ask your doctor when it is safe to you to drive or fly. You probably will not be able to drive for at least 4 weeks. This is because your arm and shoulder muscles may be stiff after surgery and could make it difficult to steer. You may be able to take showers unless you have a drain near your incision. If you have a drain near your incision, follow your doctor's instructions to empty and care for it.
Do not take a bath for the first 2 weeks, or until your doctor tells you it is okay. Ask your doctor when it is okay for you to have sex. You will probably need to take at least 1 to 2 months off from work. It depends on the surgery you had and the type of work you do. You can eat your normal diet. If your stomach is upset, try bland, low-fat foods like plain rice, broiled chicken, toast, and yogurt. Drink plenty of fluids unless your doctor tells you not to.
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