Written by Consultant Surgeon Mr James Kirkby-Bott
Advice on helping you with your recovery
Post Thyroid and Parathyroid Surgery
Please read it and use the advice to help minimise discomfort and maximise your outcome.
The following advice has been written by your surgeon - James Kirkby-Bott, with advice on helping with your recovery. Please read it and use the advice to help minimise discomfort and maximise your outcome.
What to expect post surgery
The first 1-2 days are the worst in terms of feeling discomfort, tiredness, a sore throat and generally not feeling yourself.
Surgery and general anaesthetic are perceived by your body as a trauma and this takes some time and patience to recover from.
If I can offer any general advice it is this: Try not to get pre-occupied with how you feel or how you feel compares to what you have been expecting. Instead try and go with the flow. Give yourself a period of rest time from work and activities, but continue to get up and move around.
As each day passes try and increase your activity levels doing gentle exercise and keeping moving. Going for a walk might be pleasant, but don’t do strenuous sports until you feel up to it.
Remember any unusual sensations are temporary and will improve as time goes by. Don’t be distracted by feeling unwell. Stay positive and doing things you enjoy for your rest time will help you achieve that. It is OK to enjoy your recovery time. After all you’ve just had a big operation and deserve the rest!