Discharge advice following day surgery

Patient Information Leaflet

Recovering from Anaesthetic or sedation

General anaesthetic or sedation can affect your judgement, so you may not be able to think clearly. This may last for 24 hours, so until the next day. You may be slightly confused and unsteady after your treatment.

You will need an adult over 18 years old to accompany you from hospital and stay with you for 24 hours.

It is important not to be in charge of children or other people in your care, and that you do not cook or use any machinery, make important decisions, post on social media, or drink alcohol.

Local anaesthetic – you may experience some pain or discomfort as the anaesthetic wears off. You can take painkillers such as paracetamol for several days or until you feel comfortable (always read the label; do not exceed the recommended dose).

Avoiding blood clots

You can help reduce your risk of developing a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or a pulmonary embolism (PE):

• Drink plenty of fluids when able to keep you hydrated.
• Keep moving and walking as soon as you are advised to.
• Anti-embolism stockings may be prescribed to you. Please wear them as advised by your nurse

If you experience any symptoms, including swelling in the leg, muscle tenderness (often in the leg), leg warm to touch, or reddish / bluish skin discolouration, please seek medical attention. If you have a sudden onset of shortness of breath, chest pain or a rapid heart rate, attend your nearest Emergency Department immediately.

Wound advice

Try not to touch your wound as this can make a wound infection much more likely. However, if you have to touch your wound to care for it, always wash your hands before and after touching the wound area. Let your nurse / GP / practice nurse know if you notice any of the following:

• Your wound is oozing or has increased swelling.
• You experience an increased amount of pain from the
• An unusual smell from the
• An increase in redness around the

Helpline numbers

If you have any questions, or if there is anything you do not understand about this leaflet, please speak to a member of staff or contact:

Russells Hall Hospital Day Surgery Unit on 01384 456111 ext. 1886 (7am to 8:30pm, Monday to Friday)

or

Pre-operative Assessment Unit on 01384 456111 ext. 3301 (7am to 10:30pm, Monday to Friday)

Ward B6 Surgical Same Day Emergency Care on 01384 456111 ext. 3359 (7am to 10:30pm, every day)

Out of these hours, for urgent queries, please contact NHS 111 or present to urgent care, or in the event of an emergency present to an emergency department.

If you have any questions, or if there is anything you do not understand, please contact the Russells Hall Hospital switchboard number on 01384 456111 and ask for the relevant department who issued this leaflet.

If you have any feedback on this patient information leaflet please email dgft.patient.information@nhs.net

This leaflet can be made available in large print, audio version and in other languages, please call 0800 073 0510.

Originator: M Sibley, A Larkin. Date originated: December 2025. Review date: December 2028. Version: 3. DGH ref: DGH/PIL/02183.