Recovery

Do not be surprised if you feel very tired when you get home, especially if you have had a major operation or a general anaesthetic.

You should only do as much as you feel able to in the days after your operation.

But it's important to try to move around as soon as possible and follow your doctor's advice on getting active again.

This will encourage your blood to flow and your wounds to heal, and will build up strength in your muscles.

Generally, try to get back into your regular routine as soon as possible.

Try to eat a healthy diet and quit smoking if you smoke. You should also ask your doctor about what exercises you should be doing after the operation.

If you have a dressing on the area operated on, follow the instructions your nurse gave you to care for your wound at home.

Washing after surgery

Follow your doctor's advice about washing and keeping your wound dry.

You can usually have a shower 48 hours after surgery, unless they've advised you not to.

Do not get your wound under water, for example in a bath or swimming pool, until it has completely healed or until your doctor says it is safe to do so.

How to tell if you might have a blood clot

Signs to look out for after your operation include:

pain or swelling in your leg
the skin of your leg feeling hot or discoloured
the veins near the surface of your leg appearing larger than normal

Read more about the symptoms of DVT (deep vein thrombosis). If you experience any of these symptoms, seek medical help immediately.

Recovery

Your doctor will have given you an idea of how long it'll take to get back to normal.

The following links provide information and advice about recovering from specific procedures:

Sexual Health Advice

Throughout this series we have help and advice on staying healthy, dealing with Sexually Transmitted Infections, the risks of each type of the most popular gay sex and what to do if the sex you have is not consentual. The topics covered in this series include:

	This item was in brought to you association with NHS website. Follow the links above for more information and don't forget to check out OutUK's A to Z of Gay Health which features items on everything from relationships, sexual health, mental and physical conditions and how to stay fit. This week our topic is: L - Lung Cancer.
Photos: OutUK and LightFieldStudios.