Re: covery Time from Surgery @ thriveonline

From: Ellen Eggers (eeggers1@unl.edu)
Mon Sep 20 15:58:38 1999


At Sat, 18 Sep 1999, Helen Dynda wrote: >
>Someone has asked me: How long does it takes to recover from surgery?
>The following recovery times are from *some of the surgical procedures
>listed at thriveonline.com.
>
>There is also easily read information about each one of these surgical
>procedures...information such as the following:
>
>* Definition -- * Body Parts Involved -- * Reasons For Surgery -- *
>Surgical Risk Increases With -- * Who Operates -- * Where Performed -- *
>Diagnostic Tests -- " Anesthesia -- * Description of Operation -- *
>Possible Complications -- * Average Hospital Stay -- * Probable Outcome
>-- * Postoperative Care -- * Activity -- * Diet -- * Call Your Doctor If
>-- *
>
>RECOVERY TIME: following these surgical procedures:
>
>1.) * Ovarian Cyst or Tumor Removal = 4 weeks
>"http://www.thriveonline.com/health/Library/surgery/surgery32.html"
>
>2.) * Sigmoid Colon Removal = 6 weeks
>"http://www.thriveonline.com/health/Library/surgery/surgery53.html"
>
>3.) * Small Bowel Resection = 4 weeks
>"http://www.thriveonline.com/health/Library/surgery/surgery56.html"
>
>4.) * Spleen Removal = 4 weeks
>"http://www.thriveonline.com/health/Library/surgery/surgery58.html"
>
>5.) * Stomach Cancer Surgery = 6 weeks
>"http://www.thriveonline.com/health/Library/surgery/surgery60.html"
>
>6.) * Tubal Ligation = 2 weeks
>"http://www.thriveonline.com/health/Library/surgery/surgery76.html"
>
>7.) * Tummy Tuck = 10 weeks
>"http://www.thriveonline.com/health/Library/surgery/surgery77.html"
>
>8.) * Colonoscopy = 4 days
>"http://www.thriveonline.com/health/Library/surgery/surgery112.html"
>
>9.) * Gallbladder Laparoscopy = 1 to 2 weeks
>"http://www.thriveonline.com/health/Library/surgery/surgery132.html"
>
>10.) * Gallbladder Removal = 3 weeks
>"http://www.thriveonline.com/health/Library/surgery/surgery133.html"
>
>11.) * Laparoscopy = 6 days
>"http://www.thriveonline.com/health/Library/surgery/surgery165.html"
>
>--
>The purpose of medicine is: To cure sometimes, to relieve often, to comfort always.
>

Lists such as this terrify me! Every person is different, and recovery time depends on many factors. If we listen to what everyone else tells us, we can either feel like super people or we can feel that there's something terribly wrong with us. Of course, we can seek guidelines from the doctors, but they're only going to give an average. Speaking for myself, I certainly recovered more quickly from my first laparoscopy than I did from my fourth (eighteen months later). Also, "laparoscopy" is simply a procedure for getting to the internal organs; it can involve looking only or it can involve the removal of organs. Obviously, the latter is going to cause a longer recovery time! Again, we must beware of such lists that seek to find sameness in everyone; the best we can hope for, I believe, is (very)loose similarity.

--
Ellen

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