After a keyhole surgery, the expected recovery will be in a few weeks. Number and size of the wounds will depend on what type of keyhole surgery that you went for. You will be given hospitalization leave (HL) in order for you to rest and recover at home. Depending on your occupation, you can also request for light duty memo as we would recommend to avoid heavy lifting (>5kg) and strenuous activity for at least 6 weeks after your surgery. Your bowel movement might take a while to return to the normal frequency. Should you require medications to pass motion, you can request for such medications on discharge.
After the surgery, you can shower as per normal as the wound for keyhole surgery will be covered by a waterproof dressing. You can remove the overlying dressing in 3 days after the surgery. Underneath the dressing, there will be transparent strips called “Steristrips” which is also waterproof. You can now monitor your wound which should be healing and to inform us if there is discharge from your wound.
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 surgery clinic (physical or via Zoom) 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, kindly contact us.
Tel: (65)6321 4570 or (65) 6321 4580
Request to speak to our specialist nurse, Fiona Oo or any resident nurses for assistance.
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.
Can I resume my normal daily activities after the surgery? The aim for keyhole surgery is for you to be able to return to normal daily activities as soon as possible. You can resume normal daily activities with caution as long as your body is able to tolerate the level of activity. However, we will advise against performing strenuous exercise and carrying heavy burden (>5kg) for at least first 6 weeks after the surgery.
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 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 condition might involve something cancerous, what do I do? During the surgery, all specimens removed will be sent for testing to ensure no malignancy is missed. 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.
