Contact & surgical recovery

If something is wrong now

For chest pain, breathlessness, a swollen painful calf, dizziness or fainting, a racing heartbeat during activity, bleeding that does not stop, a wound that has opened, or new numbness or weakness in a limb, go to the nearest emergency department immediately or call emergency services. Say what operation you had, when it was, and what you were doing when it started. This website is not an emergency channel and is not monitored as one.

When to call rather than attend

A reaction that is settling is reviewed at the interval your team planned. Anything that is not settling, or that is moving in the wrong direction, is reported by telephone the same day so that the team can decide whether you need to be seen. If you are unsure which you are looking at, describe what you see and let the team decide, rather than deciding for yourself that it can wait.

What to have ready when you call

Have the operation and its date, the plan you were given, and the activity that set the symptom off — what you did, when, and what you felt at the time and afterwards. Have a list of your medication, and any photographs you have taken since, because they show the direction the area is moving in rather than only how it looks today. Say whether you have had a fever, and whether the wound has been discharging.

What a review covers

The examination records the operation and the interval since it, inspects the wound for a gap, bleeding or discharge, examines any new swelling or bulge to decide whether it is fluid or blood, asks about the clot findings, and compares the shape of the result with the record and the photographs from the last visit. You should leave with clear answers: what the finding is, what is being done about it, what to stop doing, and when the graded return may resume and at which stage.

Fees, records and privacy

This site does not quote prices, because the plan depends on the findings and is discussed directly at consultation. What was seen and what was done is documented so that the record follows you, and photographs taken at each visit are what allow the area to be judged rather than remembered. Clinical photographs are not published or used for teaching without a separate consent you are free to refuse.