September 15, 2023
Undergoing surgery is difficult, but in most cases, you are under some form of anesthesia, or even entirely unconscious. But the recovery that comes afterward? You’re going to be there for every moment. Even if you are prescribed medicine for the pain, you can be in recovery for weeks, or even months at a time. What determines this length of recovery, and can you do anything to reduce it? Gladiator Therapeutics is here to share some factors that impact how long someone typically takes to recover and suggest some of our post-operation recovery devices made specifically to help people reduce their recovery time.
Factors that Determine Your Post-Operation Recovery
There is no one factor or reason to explain why it’s taking you so long to recover or why it will. There are multiple things to consider that can give you a better picture as to why your projected post-operation recovery is expected to take several weeks or even months.
Type of Surgery
One of the most important factors is the kind of operation you had. Surgery that requires significant cutting or tissue manipulation will commonly lead to a longer recovery time than minimally invasive procedures, such as arthroscopy. For example, a transplant will take longer to recover from than a burn excision or a breast biopsy, assuming they go as planned.
Patients should also consider the severity of their condition prior to surgery. If you were in poor health before your surgery, you may be recovering longer than if you were in good health beforehand. This isn’t only because you’re starting from a worse place before surgery, but during surgery, the surgeons will have to be more careful and use more intensive treatments to save your life.
Anesthesia
The type of anesthesia used can also play a role in the length of your post-operation recovery. General anesthesia requires a longer period of time for the body to recover than local or regional anesthesia, which only numbs certain areas of the body. If you have to be unconscious, the longer you’re unconscious, the longer your recovery time tends to be.
Anesthesia and similar substances will slow down many of your bodily functions. In layman’s terms, this is so that they don’t fail during surgery, but they don’t just bounce back. The effects of anesthesia wear off slowly, and your body slows down even more as it begins to recognize these new wounds attained during surgery.
Age and Overall Health
We’ve discussed before how your age can affect the healing process. At some point, you don’t heal like you used to, and odds are you never will again. Though, some people in their 40s may still age better than others in their 30s or even 20s.
This has to do with the overall health of the patient. If you’re in good health before surgery, you can offset much of the effect your age has on your ability to heal.
Lifestyle During Recovery
Your lifestyle following your surgery plays an important role in determining the length of recovery time. Listen to what your doctor recommends. Typically, they want you to get enough rest and avoid strenuous exercise. This will help you get back to normal activities much sooner. Eating a healthy diet and taking vitamin supplements can also help speed up your recovery time.
Quality of Care
Finally, the quality of care you receive is a critical factor in determining the length of your post-operation recovery. If your surgeons make a mistake or don’t perform their tasks as efficiently as possible, your good health, age, anesthesia, and planned surgery won’t matter.
One wrong action during a typical surgery can increase your recovery period exponentially. You want to make sure you are being treated by skilled doctors and nurses to reduce the chances of mistakes as much as possible.
How Our Healing Devices Can Help With Your Post-Operation Recovery
Post-surgery recovery is one of the periods in a treatment cycle that Gladiator Therapeutics focuses on the most. We create devices that work to improve your body’s ability to heal itself, and you do a lot of healing post-surgery.
Our devices can help improve your body’s ability to recover and the speed at which it recovers, without being intrusive.
Contact Gladiator Therapeutics to Learn More About Healing Devices
By understanding these factors and preparing yourself accordingly, you can take the necessary steps towards a successful recovery. At Gladiator Therapeutics, we will work with you to provide the post-recovery device you need for a fast and safe post-operation recovery. To learn more about our devices, contact us today!