That almost became a headline last week because a patient did not follow postoperative instructions!

A young, completely healthy woman had breast augmentation performed. The surgery was completely uneventful. Her recovery from anesthesia seemed perfect. She woke up and was immediatelly fully alert and comfortable. She had no pain, she was not feeling sick, she was not throwing up.

After being discharged from a Toronto hospital, she was picked up by another person. On the way home they stopped by a pharmacy to fill her prescription. Her companion should have picked up the prescription while she waited in the car. However, the opposite happened. He stayed in the car while he sent her in. Can you guess what happened?
The patient fainted, fell, and cracked her head. Really. This is not a made up urban myth. This really happened and it is a perfect example why it is so important to follow you doctor’s instructions.

Luckily this patient is alive and recovering from her fall. But this story stresses an important point. After surgery, a patient should not be left alone for the first 24 hours! Because of all the drugs, pain and possibly dehydration, patients are prone to fainting and falling.

Why do I bring this up? Because patients and families often need to be reminded of this fact. So often people want to leave alone in a taxi, some even want to go back to the office. It’s a BAD idea. Take it easy and arrange for someone to spend time with you.