Many women want to know what they should do for the trip home after tubal reversal surgery. Below are four commonly asked questions women ask following tubal reanastomosis to which we provide information to make your trip more comfortable.
1. How soon after tubal reversal can I go home?
If you live within the continental US, you can go home the day after the surgery. You should plan your departure time after the morning check up by the doctor or nurse. We want to be sure you are doing well.
However, if you live far enough away such that your trip will be very long or even take a couple days, please wait at least one more night. If you can manage it, you might want to stay a couple of extra days at the hotel in order to give yourself a recovery time before a long trip. This is particularly true for couples coming from overseas for their tubal reversal procedure.
2. What should I take to make me more comfortable on the flight?
The first suggestion is to be sure you bring a small pillow with you when you come for the tubal ligation reversal. You will use this pillow across your lower abdomen to provide support in the incision area. It will make you feel more comfortable. One woman reported really needing it as her husband kept her laughing.
You should consider making arrangements for a wheelchair or cart to get you around the airport. If you can be met at the curb with a wheel chair, it will keep you moving faster as you will be quite a bit slower walking for the first few days after surgery. No sense wearing yourself out just getting around the airport in a rush. It might save you from being jostled as well. If you have connecting flights, be sure a wheel chair is waiting to take you to the next gate when you debark the plane. Even better is to try to get a direct flight.
When you reach the gate, have your companion inform the gate attendant that you just had surgery and need to board the plane before all the other passengers.
Lastly, be sure to take your pain medication as directed by the tubal reversal doctor before getting on the plane. You may also take ibuprofen as well at that time. This will make your travel the most comfortable for you.
3. Do I need to see my doctor when I get home?
After your tubal reanastomosis, you might be wondering if you need to check in with your own doctor once you get home. Dr. Berger says this is mostly up to you. If your doctor did refer you to him, then you should set up an appointment to check in with your own doctor. If you set up everything yourself, there is no need to get an appointment unless it will make you feel more comfortable to do so.
4. What if I have any other questions or concerns after tubal reversal?
With Dr. Berger or Dr. Monteith as your tubal reversal doctor, you have several ways to get any other questions answered or concerns allayed. Just as these questions have been answered here, other articles will be or have been written providing answers to commonly asked questions. You can also read through all the information provided on the website http://www.tubal-reversal.net/ to find the answers.
For more direct contact, there is still the 24/7 phone number or our email address: JuliaS@tubal-reversal.net Lastly, there is always the great community of ladies on the moderated message board at http://forums.tubal-reversal.net/. You can talk with others who have had already had the experiences of the reversal surgery and after tubal reversal pregnancies. Hopefully, your name will soon make it on the weekly pregnancy announcement list. The Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center staff answer questions there as well.
Ben Walsh
Webmaster
www.tubal-reversal.net/
