After the operation to clear your abscess, the expected recovery will be in a few weeks depending on the size and location of your abscess. We will provide you with a period of hospitalization leave (HL) on discharge for you to rest and recover at home. You will usually need to go to polyclinic/ GP near your house for dressing change which the hospital will provide you with a memo to give to your primary care doctor.
If your abscess location is within the perianal area, most of the times no dressing change is required. Our specialist nurses will train you to clean the area with shower spray after each bowel movement to keep the area clean. You will also be given stool softeners if needed to avoid unnecessary discomfort during each bowel movement.
On discharge, you will be given painkillers which you should take as per instructions should you experience pain over the wound site. If you are prescribed antibiotics, please complete the course of antibiotics given to you. You will also be given an appointment in our minor surgery clinic to assess the progress of your recovery.
If you experience bleeding or pus discharge from the wound/ fever/ excruciating pain or require further clarification on your condition, contact us.
Tel: (65) 63214570 or (65) 63214580
Request to speak to our specialist nurse, Fiona Oo or any resident nurses for assistance.
How frequent do I need to change my dressing at the polyclinic/ GP? Upon discharge, we will provide you with a memo to pass to your polyclinic that contains instructions for dressing change. We would recommend you to visit the polyclinic for dressing change every other day in the first few weeks after discharge. The polyclinic will advise you further on the frequency of dressing change if the wound is healing well.
My polyclinic doctors/ GP advised me to get assessed by the surgeon as they are concerned about my wound. What do I do? Should you need to bring forward your appointment, you can contact the appointment hotline of SGH at (65) 6321 4377 and inform them of the need to bring forward the appointment. Alternatively, you can change or bring forward your appointment online or on the HealthBuddy or HealthHub app.
How do I extend my MC/HL after discharge? If you require further extension of your MC, you can contact our clinic hotline (65) 6321 4377. The message will be passed on to the team doctors so that they can review your request and extend your MC if necessary.
I ran out of dressing materials, where can I obtain more dressing materials? Most simple dressing materials can be obtained over the counter in local pharmacies. If you require specialized dressing materials that require a doctor’s prescription, you can contact our clinic hotline (65) 6321 4377 to ask for assistance.
I felt better, can I stop taking the antibiotics prescribed to me?We would still encourage you to complete the course of antibiotics prescribed as an incomplete course will increase the risk of antibiotics resistance.
I am worried that my abscess might be something cancerous, what do I do? If the appearance of your abscess is worrisome, during the surgery the surgeons will send the specimen off for further testing. The results might not be available on discharge. Do attend the clinic appointment given to you and we will inform you of the results then. If the result requires further action taken before your clinic appointment is due, we will get in touch with you once the result is out.
