• Reference Number: HEY049/2026
• Departments: Plastic Surgery
• Last Updated: 30 April 2026

Introduction

This leaflet has been produced to give you general advice following your discharge. If after reading it, you have any concerns or require further explanation please discuss this with the nurse who has been caring for you.

Rest

When you go home it is important that you rest, you will need someone else to do the domestic chores. You should avoid strenuous activities, exercise and heavy lifting (including lifting children) for at least 6 weeks.

Dressings

Dressings should be kept clean, dry and undisturbed.  Do not use any perfumed products (i.e. sprays or creams) near your wound as these may irritate it.  If you have any bleeding (other than oozing), swelling or discharge you should contact the ward for advice.

Follow up

The stitches used to close your wound are usually dissolving and do not need to be removed.  Occasionally stitches around your belly button will need to be removed 7 to 14 days after surgery.  If your stitches need removing you will be given an appointment to have these removed; this is not painful.  Your consultant may use dissolving stitches internally; these do not need removing and will usually dissolve within 10 to 12 weeks but can occasionally come to the surface sooner.

Pain relief

You can expect a moderate amount of pain, which can be eased by keeping your hips bent slightly when you are in bed and by walking slightly stooped, gradually straightening up as your abdomen becomes less tight.  It is advisable to have a supply of mild pain relief medication at home, which should be used as directed on the packet if you have pain.

Sun care

You should protect your scars from the sun, for the first 12 months, by using sun block or clothing until they are fully healed.  Until the scars are fully matured, they will burn very easily.

Recovery

We advise that you take approximately 4 weeks away from your work to recover after your operation but you may need longer if your job is quite physical or involves a lot of heavy lifting.  Your doctor or nurse will advise you at your outpatient appointment.  You can submit a self-certification certificate for the first week, after this you will need to get a fit note from your own doctor or the doctor on the ward. There is no reason why you cannot begin swimming, other exercise and sexual relations, once your scars are fully healed, although you should check with your doctor or nurse at your outpatient’s appointment.

If you experience any problems with your wounds or should you require further advice on the issues contained in this leaflet, please do not hesitate to contact the Plastic Surgery team tel: 01482 623259 (Monday to Friday) or tel: 01482 674509 (Saturday and Sunday)

General Advice and Consent

Most of your questions should have been answered by this leaflet, but remember that this is only a starting point for discussion with the healthcare team.

Consent to treatment

Before any doctor, nurse or therapist examines or treats you, they must seek your consent or permission. In order to make a decision, you need to have information from health professionals about the treatment or investigation which is being offered to you. You should always ask them more questions if you do not understand or if you want more information.

The information you receive should be about your condition, the alternatives available to you, and whether it carries risks as well as the benefits. What is important is that your consent is genuine or valid. That means:

• you must be able to give your consent
• you must be given enough information to enable you to make a decision
• you must be acting under your own free will and not under the strong influence of another person

Information about you

We collect and use your information to provide you with care and treatment. As part of your care, information about you will be shared between members of a healthcare team, some of whom you may not meet. Your information may also be used to help train staff, to check the quality of our care, to manage and plan the health service, and to help with research. Wherever possible we use anonymous data.

We may pass on relevant information to other health organisations that provide you with care. All information is treated as strictly confidential and is not given to anyone who does not need it. If you have any concerns please ask your doctor, or the person caring for you.

Under the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018 we are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any information we hold about you. For further information visit the following page: Confidential Information about You.

If you or your carer needs information about your health and wellbeing and about your care and treatment in a different format, such as large print, braille or audio, due to disability, impairment or sensory loss, please advise a member of staff and this can be arranged.