Recovering From Surgery

If you are having day surgery, remember the following:

Have someone available to take you home, you will not be able to drive for at least 24 hours.
Do not drink or eat anything in the car on the trip back home.
The combination of anesthesia, food, and car motion can quite often cause nausea or vomiting. After arriving home, wait until you are hungry before trying to eat. Begin with a light meal and try to avoid greasy food for the first 24 hours.
For shoulder surgery it can help to sleep propped upright to elevate the shoulder above the heart, this is not mandatory.
For elbow surgery, it helps to spend time laying flat with the elbow elevated up over the chest to raise it above the heart.
For all surgeries you should plan to ice the shoulder for at least 20 minutes per hour (or alternating every 20 minutes on / 20 minutes off) for at least the first 2 weeks.
Several ice options will be available to you for purchase through online retailers or at the surgery center. I recommend the most simple and cheapest options.
Take your pain medicine as directed. Begin the pain medicine as you start getting uncomfortable, but before you are in severe pain. If you wait to take your pain medication until the pain is severe, you will have more difficulty in controlling the pain.