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• If you are nauseated, queezy or unsure if you are ready for full liquid diet, stay with clears.
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  Do not drink carbonated drinks yet.
• If you can not tolerate clear liquids for 12 hours, or if you get nauseated, contact us. If you can not tolerate a clear liquid diet, you need intravenous fluids to prevent dehydration. Intravenous fluids may be given at home or in the hospital.
• For nauseated patients, we usually call in Zofran oral disintegrating tablets, every 8 hours as needed. We usually stop the current narcotic and give another pain relief medicine.
  

2. Full liquid diet is tried after clear liquid diet is well tolerated. Full liquid diet includes:

• Light soups are soups made of vegetables or poultry (Chicken soup, noodle soup, rice soup).
• Breads (without butter), crackers, simple cookies.
• Carbonated drinks, may be tried now.
• Heavier soups, are soups made from animal fat,broth or cream. These soups may be tried after light soups are tolerated well.
• If you do not tolerate a full diet (nausea, bloating, queezy), go back to a clear diet for one day.
• If you tolerate a full diet well, try solid food.
  

3, A solid diet is tried after a  full liquid diet is well tolerated.

• Initially "anything that has feathers (Chicken/turkey) or swims (fish) should be tried first but not fried"  because it has low fat. This meal may be baked/steamed (preferable), broiled or barbequed, but do not fry food yet.
• TV dinners of vegetables, fish, poultry are easy to prepare. Simple sandwiches of poultry and fish are also good to try.
• The family should not waste a lot of time preparing elaborate dinners at this time. It is more important to take care of the postoperative patient, than preparing food.
• If light solids are taken well, you may have any solid food, fried or otherwise.
• Avoid eating nuts until cleared by physician.
• If you do not tolerate a solid diet, go back to a full liquid diet.

Typical Postoperative Wound Care Instructions

• Dressings are generally kept on for 24-48 hrs because that's how long most wounds need before they can become watertight and airtight. During this time, the wound will drain blood and fluid. The dressings will soak up this fluid.
• If a dressing becomes soaked, call our office and we will change it.
• Do not change your own dressing.
• With surgery there is going to be swelling, this is especially true of surgery to the face.
• During the first 8 hours apply a cold compress to the surgery site as directed.
  
• You may shower after the doctor removes the dressing, usually in 2-3 days. Until then, you may sponge bath.
  

• You have nausea or vomiting, pain. These are the most common postoperative complaints we have. Most patients will have some combination of these complaints.
• You do not urinate within 12 hours after being discharged. Some patients, especially older men, may have trouble urinating after surgery. In some cases, a bladder catheter may need to be inserted. This may be done by a home nurse, at our own facility or any hospital.
• Drainage from the wound, fever, chills, light headedness, rash, hives are unusual but always deserve a call.