This website uses cookies

We use essential cookies to make this website work. Additional cookies help us to make improvements (analytics) or are set when we incorporate functionality from other websites, such as video, social media feeds and ReachDeck (text-to-speech and translations). More on how we use cookies

Set preferences
Children’s Therapies

This site is best viewed with a modern browser. You appear to be using an old version of Internet Explorer.

Recovery

Here are some details on what to expect during your recovery period following your surgery.

Post Operation Recovery Plan

Morning after your operation

  • Your movement goal on this day is to sit on the edge of the bed
  • Our Physiotherapy Team will come and visit you in our High Dependency unit, to introduce themselves and get you moving
  • We will give you deep breathing exercises to help you relax, and demonstrate how to cough effectively (as this may be uncomfortable)
  • We will teach you the 'log roll' to the edge of the bed, and help you to sit over the edge of the bed
  • If you feel well enough you can stand up and take a few steps
  • We encourage you to repeat these steps with the nurses during the day

Second day after your operation

  • Our Physiotherapy Team will come to see you again to ensure you have been managing to sit over the edge of the bed
  • We will encourage you to stand and walk a short distance, with guidance
  • We will encourage you to sit in the chair at your bedside for 15 minutes, or as long as you feel comfortable
  • We will show your parents or carers how to help you in and out of bed, so that you can continue to practise this throughout the day
  • We'll give you details of how to request a porter's chair so you can sit out and spend time off the ward
  • After this we will encourage you to increase the amount of time you spend walking and sitting in the chair on the ward, and aim to meet your goals for discharge

Goals for discharge

  • You and your parents or carers should be confident in your ability to walk and get on/off a bed, a chair and a toilet
  • You should be able to walk at least 10 metres
  • You and your parents or carers should be confident in your ability to walk up and down the stairs (a Physiotherapist will assess your ability to walk up the stairs before we discharge you)
  • You must be able to sit comfortably in a chair for at least 30 minutes
  • You must have a good understanding of the 'dos' and 'don't's following your surgery

Once discharged

  • We don't expect you need any outpatient physiotherapy follow-up after this type of surgery, but if we are concerned about your recovery after six weeks, we will refer you for physiotherapy
  • Increase your activity level eacy day within your own limits of pain and fatigue
  • Your rehabilitation will be naturally incorporated into your gradual return to school or college

In this section