The night after surgery

Cochlear Implants
#1

I qualified for a CI in January and just saw the surgeon last week. His estimates surgery will happen sometime between one to two months from now. I know I’ll have lots of questions but right now I have one that’s on my mind.

I asked the surgeon if I needed someone to stay with me the night after the surgery. He said it’s a good idea, but not absolutely necessary. I’m a widow in Ohio and my family lives in Boston. They are talking about coming out to “help”.

Do I need them here? Did any of you need help after the surgery?

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#2

Here in Australia we need someone else with us for the first 24 hours post op. It doesn’t matter what operation you have either. It’s a good idea to have someone with you though. Simply as you don’t know if your going to have any of the possible complications from the CI surgery. Did your specialist discuss the possible complications with you?

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#3

I got to stay in hospital overnight for my surgery & sample the delights of the private hospital cuisine. Are you saying an overnight stay in hospital isn’t standard?

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#4

Yes I stayed overnight as well, in St V’s private. But in the US it’s generally day surgery…

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#5

CI surgery is typically an outpatient surgery in the US. Complications are very rare with this surgery as far as I know but not an expert at all.

If you have someone that wants to stay with you for a few days that would be a good idea just in case. Pain the first 24 hours is likely and some type of pain pills might be needed. Dizziness is another symptom that can affect some for a couple days.

Everyone is different about this surgery. Some have zero symptoms after waking up from the surgery and go to work the next day so it’s difficult to say just how you will feel.

Both of my CI surgeries were done after lunch and I was back home by 4-5 pm. I had pain on both surgeries that evening and took a couple pain pills. The next day ibuprofen was all I took for another couple days. The second surgery I did have some dizziness for a couple days that caused some nausea.

Keep us posted on your CI.

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#6

How do you plan to get home? Driving yourself imo would not be a good idea. Again imo having someone around the first few days would be a good idea.

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#7

Thanks for all you replies. I guess I didn’t give you enough details. Sorry!

Yes, in the US it’s outpatient surgery. I will have no problem finding a friend to drive me to and from the hospital where I’ll have the surgery, which is about 30-40 minutes away. (If there are any problems, I live almost next to another hospital.)

The doctor did explain possible complications. Pain and dizziness seem like the most common.

I’m not sure about asking a friend to sleep here. The guest room is on a different floor than my bedroom, so for someone to really be there to help they would have to sleep on the couch.

As for my family, I’d love to have them come. But I hate to ask my high-risk pregnant niece and my 76 year old brother to drive 755 miles if I don’t really need them.

So my question remains. Did any of you need help the night after surgery?

(And just typing this all out gave me another idea. I wonder if I can stay the night with the friend who drives me to and from the surgery? Something to explore.)

#8

The simple answer to your question is no, I did not need anyone the night after surgery. But that’s me!

I like your thinking about staying with your friend a day or two if that’s ok. Just in case.

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#9

My surgery was delayed and I didn’t get released from the hospital until about 7:30 PM. With a five hour drive home, we opted to stay overnight in a hotel. My husband was there, but I think I would have been fine. It would be wise to have a friend or neighbor around just in case something unexpected occurs - dizziness can cause a fall, etc. Keep your cell on your person at all times and prevent a problem! Excited for you for sure.

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#10

Update.

I talked to my niece and brother and one or both will be traveling out for my surgery. I tried to convince them it wasn’t necessary, I could find a friend to take me and stay a couple of days, but they are adamant. I think part of it is they will worry about the surgery itself and not being at the hospital will make them crazy.

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#11

It’s lovely to have people who care about you. Enjoy the visit and hope all goes smoothly

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#12

Thanks!

It’s interesting, I’m worried about their well-being and they are worried about mine.

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#13

@db4art thats an excellent outcome for you. This way you can have some quality time with your family.

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#14

Originally I planned to just have a friend drive me home (out patient and I wouldn’t be allowed to go home alone) but as it turned out my brother wanted to fly across the country to help me with my recovery. We hadn’t been together alone for decades, and I will forever be grateful for his presence. Yes, I could have winged it myself, mainly some manageable pain, but no dizziness. But my bro–a great cook and musician–and I bonded more than ever, and that made the experience very special. We communicated with my transcription app, since using just one hearing aid was hairy. Hope that helps.

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#15

It’s definitely a good idea to have someone with you. While chances are you will be fine on your own, it is impossible to know if you will have side effects or complications. Sever dizziness does occur and it can be very difficult to walk to the bathroom or kitchen in those cases. People have fallen and injured their head from such things. It is best to plan to have help and not need it than need help and not have it.

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#16

You are so right about that!

#17

I’m in the UK, in the process of getting tested for the CI op, will have to go to Birmingham, England for it, which I’m prepared for despite the expensive Train fares (£129 for 3 of us? Even with a disabled railcard discount? You what?)