To expect better post surgery care from hospital?

[Paperowls]

I had a laporoscopic sterilisation on Monday and I'm utterly fucked off with lack of care from the hospital or my GP while I'm recovering. What should I expect? I was seen late in the day on Monday and the surgeon couldn't get out of there quick enough. They barely told me the op had gone ok. I had to fight to get them to discharge me with some codine based pain relief (apparently paracetamol should have been ok?🙄 Believe me, it wasn't) and they couldn't give me a straight answer to any of my questions. You know, ones like 'when will the sterilisation be effective?' Answer 'it should be ok'. 'Should I use pads rather than tampons for my next period?' 'Maybe'. They also gave me a leaflet printed in 1998 to help me.
Is this normal process or useless aftercare?

Unfortunately, in my experience it's both useless and normal. Sorry you're having a rough time. What has your GP said?

depends whether you voted Tory I guess.

I can't get to see my GP until tomorrow. I can't imagine they will be much help though. They've probably got the same bloody twenty year old leaflet to give me. And the receptionist didn't seem to fussed when I rang up and said I had an operation three days ago and I'm not well. How do I get to see the team that did my operation? Am I allowed to request a follow up consultation?

There was a thread recently by a poster going through the trauma of being released early/without proper instruction after a bowel related op. Cant remember the details but so many came on to say that it's not unusual and not acceptable.

Lots of HCPs posted great advice.

Were you discharged on Monday paper?

What did they tell you about following up problems OP? To call the ward at all?

Yes, discharged on Monday. Not a happy bunny since then. I've tried ringing the gynaecology team but I got the sense from them that they weren't interested in helping me.

And laughably the number to call to follow up with questions is printed as an 0181 number. Ho ho ho.

What did the gynae team say when you called? Did you ask them about a follow up consultation? I think they should offer this as standard but perhaps they see it as making it opt-in stops wasted appointments. Mine told me to go to my GP for any problems but also to call them if I needed to (didn't realise til I just wrote that that it's actually not very helpful...)

The person in the gynaecology ward I spoke to just kept saying 'you will be fine, just rest and you'll feel better' but that doesn't answer my questions about when I will 'safe' to consider myself sterile, how long it will take for my stomach muscles to heal and what I should do about my period that's due tomorrow. I'm not expecting my GP to know the answers to this if the bloody gynaecology team can't answer this!

I've tried ringing the gynaecology team but I got the sense from them that they weren't interested in helping me.

Sometimes you have to push :( You shouldn't have to, especially when you're feeling poorly, but the squeaky wheel ... ect.

I wonder is it worth me going to the urgent care centre at the hospital and asking to speak to the gynaecology team?

Sorry xpost.

You have specific questions. You've made the appt. with the GP for tomorrow yes? I would ring and tell the receptionist that you are coming with questions related specifically to going forward after your particular surgery. Then hopefully the GP can have the answers ready?

I bet lots of those answers can be found with a quick google. I know it’s not ideal and your own health care team should be answering you but you could look at reputable sites for info

LIke this site for example

I think I might try ringing the gynaecology ward again and then letting them know I'm going to come via the urgent care centre if I can't get someone with some knowledge to assist me. I fucking hate having to be like this, just to get some help and information. Not what I need when I'm feeling like shite 😡

Don't know if this helps. I had the same procedure last year. I used tampons no problem and was informed that i'd be sterile after my first period. Feel free to PM any questions

Thanks Lapin. I have Dr Googled the life out of post sterilisation recovery both pre and post op. I don't think it's too much to try to find a health care professional to answer my questions when they've operated on me though.

I totally agree! You shouldn’t have to google anything at all. But at least it’s a fallback for pressing/urgent questions

Thanks Nobrain. I'm guessing this is the case but I'd really like to know for definite. The doctor who operated on me left an image of the clips in place for me to see, but the staff nurse wouldn't let me see it, so there is part of me that thinks they've fucked it up and I don't trust that I won't be getting an unwanted pregnancy for Christmas. Not feeling very positive today at all

I thought the meaning of discharged was "discharged into the care of your GP" - so you are supposed to see the GP for any further problems.

I had the same treatment after my lap gallbladder removal a few months ago. The surgeon looked wiped out (4hr surgery instead of 1hr) and basically wittered something about it being a difficult surgery and it having a big hole in it and a big clean-up job and then vanished. I'd only been brought round 10 minutes before and spent the previous 9 minutes screaming in agony and having a major panic attack, pissing myself (that was fun) and having a total PTSD freak-out (traumatic birth and gallstone experiences) when they roused me, because they hadn't given me any fucking painrelief.

Op it's 6 weeks before gentle exercise and 12 weeks minimum before any lifting for lap surgery through stomach muscles.

I had a 18lb 3 month old at the time so that was out of the question for me. He's now 5 months old and about 21lb. My stomach is still very sore sometimes and it can take 12 months for the niggles to stop apprently.

I had major gynae surgery and received a letter about 5 days letter with details of my post op and all the information about the surgery. What does it say in your hospital discharge letter regarding post care? I used that until I received the other one.

I really don't get why they come and talk to you the minute you come round. It's the worst possible time. I too hadn't had any pain relief and it was only when they gave me the tramadol that I could even open my eyes.
I thought it was something like 6 weeks for the stomach muscles. The answer I got was 'when you feel it's ok'. Not really that helpful.
And my discharge letter doesn't say anything more than the stitches are dissolvable ones.

I've now managed to speak to a nurse at my GP practice by phone. Their advice is keep taking paracetamol and make a complaint to the hospital. All true, but nonetheless it doesn't make me any better today, or provide any reassurance. I'm currently googling the secretary of the head of Gynaecology at the hospital. This wasn't how I intended to spend my recuperation. Regretting not borrowing money to have had it done privately now. 😞

Book a phone consultation with your GP and focus on aftercare advice (complain by all means but take that to where it needs to go, which isn't the GP).
What you need is advice and then a follow up appointment with your GP in a few weeks to see how your recovery has gone.