Pre & Post Operative Tips for Kidney Stones

Going through any operative procedure can be scary. But, when you get your procedure done from MASSH, you can rest assured you will be taken care of the entire time. How? Our experienced team guides you through the entire process before you go under the knife, and we also take care of your pre and post-operative health.  This helps us ensure your procedure is 100% successful with minimal possibility of developing post-operative risks. Our personalized care helps you recover quickly and return to your life as early as three days post-procedure. But there are a few things where we need your help. What are they? Let’s find out.

Pre-Operative Care Tips For Kidney Stone Surgeries

Pre-operative care focuses on things you should avoid before your surgery. These pre-op for kidney stone removal tips can help reduce any risk factors of the surgery and ensure a quick recovery. They can also prevent any surgical complications from arising. So, let’s look at the pre-operative care tips that will be useful before your kidney stone surgery.

No Smoking Or Drinking

You have to stop smoking completely and limit your alcohol intake drastically before you go for your kidney stone surgery. This has to be done well in advance of your surgery. Generally, when doctors diagnose your kidney stones and prescribe the surgery, it is best to stop from then onwards. Why is this important? Because smoking especially harms your respiratory system. A regular smoker is at a higher risk of succumbing to pneumonia after surgery. This is the main reason doctors ask you to stop or at the least limit smoking and drinking before surgery.

No Food Before The Surgery

This is another thing you must follow before your surgery. Generally, doctors will advise you not to eat anything after midnight of your surgery date. This ensures your body is safe during anesthesia and that the procedure can be completed safely without complications. When you are under anesthesia, your body reflexes stop working, and if you have food in your stomach, it can come up as vomit and cause choking or even damage to your lungs.

No Drinks Too

You should not have any drinks from at least a few hours before your surgery too. And even before that, drinking things like cola or milk is a no-go. You can drink water up until a few hours before your surgery, and if you must, you can have tea or black coffee. The reason doctors advise you against having these things is the same as for food. They can cause choking or go into your lungs and cause damage.

Talk To Your Doctors About Your Medication

Certain medicines like blood thinners especially cause your blood to delay clotting. These medicines can be a problem when you are going for surgery. You must disclose your medications to your doctors before surgery. And in some cases, your doctors might advise you to stop taking your blood thinners for some time to ensure your surgery can go smoothly. Failure to discuss this with your doctors can lead to catastrophic complications during the procedure that could even cause you to lose your life.

Post-Operative Care Tips For Kidney Stone Surgeries

Now that you have undergone surgery, you still need to follow some things to ensure a quick and healthy recovery. These post-surgery instructions for kidney stones will help you learn how to practice self-care after your operation and what things you shouldn’t do to keep yourself safe.

Be Active But Don’t Hurry

When you are recovering after a kidney stone operation, it is crucial to be active. However, you should not hurry or do physically strenuous tasks until your doctor has cleared. Showing restraint and following the doctor’s instructions will help you recover more quickly. During this period, you should also make sure you don’t remain sedentary for long as well. You need to regularly engage in light physical activity to ensure your after-kidney stone surgery recovery goes smoothly.

Monitor Your Diet

This includes the restrictions you were previously following for smoking and drinking. Other than that, in terms of your diet, you should eat a balanced diet regularly. Doctors might also advise you to avoid spicy food for a while. The most important thing would be to drink water regularly and in large amounts daily. You would also need to reduce your dairy intake following the surgery. And lastly, you should consider adding more fibers and vegetables into your after-kidney-stone surgery diet as they can help regulate your bowel movements.

Conclusion

These are some of the things you need to take care of before and after your kidney stone surgery at MASSH. Our minimally-invasive procedures allow patients to recover quickly as is. However, following these guidelines will help you recover quicker and more safely. They will also help you prevent getting kidney stones again if you follow the doctor’s directives appropriately.  So, if you have kidney stones and need surgery, visit MASSH for modern, high-tech, minimally invasive kidney stone surgery. You can find more information about our treatment processes on our website.