Recovery instructions
Post-Operative Care Instructions
Find your procedure to open its recovery guide or print its one-page sheet. Always follow the instructions your surgeon gave you.
Emergency? For severe bleeding, trouble breathing or chest pain, call 911 or go to the nearest ER. For other worries, call 512-339-4040; after hours, it reaches our on-call physician. See all warning signs
Find Your Procedure
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Throat, Airway & Voice Procedures
- Tonsillectomy Hydration, scheduled pain control, the 2-week diet, and what to watch for after tonsil removal. PDF
- Adenoidectomy What to expect for congestion, snoring, diet, and warning signs after adenoid removal. PDF
- Tonsillectomy & Adenoidectomy Hydration, scheduled pain control, congestion and snoring expectations, and warning signs when tonsils and adenoids are removed together. PDF
- Inspire Implant Incision care, swelling, neck exercises, and activity limits after Inspire hypoglossal nerve stimulator surgery. PDF
- Vocal Fold Injection Augmentation The 48 hours of voice rest, eating and drinking, and how your voice recovers after vocal fold injection. PDF
- Direct Laryngoscopy Sore throat, soft diet, voice changes, and warning signs after direct laryngoscopy. PDF
- Injection Snoreplasty Expected palate ulcer, temporary worse snoring, soft diet, and when results appear after injection snoreplasty. PDF
Nose & Sinus Procedures
- Sinus Surgery Saline rinses, Afrin limits, bleeding control, and activity limits after endoscopic sinus surgery. PDF
- Balloon Sinuplasty Rinse schedule, congestion expectations, and return-to-activity timing after balloon sinus dilation. PDF
- Septoplasty & Inferior Turbinate Reduction Splint care, saline spray, numb teeth, and protecting a fragile nose after septoplasty with turbinate reduction. PDF
- Balloon Septoplasty Bleeding, congestion, saline spray, and the 1-week limits after balloon septoplasty. PDF
- Inferior Turbinate Reduction Expected congestion and crusting, saline spray routine, and a 1-week activity limit after turbinate reduction. PDF
- VivAer Nasal Airway Remodeling Crusting, antibiotic ointment, saline spray, and when to expect results after VivAer. PDF
- ClariFix Cryotherapy Congestion, headache, saline spray, and the 2 to 6 week healing window after ClariFix. PDF
- RhinAer Congestion, saline spray routine, and the several-week healing window after RhinAer treatment for chronic runny nose. PDF
- Eustachian Tube Balloon Dilation Ear fullness, nasal care, no nose-blowing or ear-popping, and when relief arrives after ETD. PDF
- Closed Reduction of Nasal Fracture Internal and external splint care, saline spray, and protecting the nose for 6 weeks after fracture reduction. PDF
Ear & Hearing Procedures
- Ear Tubes Ear drops, drainage, water precautions, and return to school or daycare after ear tube placement. PDF
- Myringoplasty Keeping the ear dry, protecting the repair, and activity limits after eardrum repair. PDF
- Tympanoplasty Keeping the ear dry, packing and hearing changes, incision care, and activity limits after eardrum repair. PDF
Head & Neck Surgery
- Parotidectomy Drain care, dressing removal, facial weakness and earlobe numbness, and wound care after parotid surgery. PDF
- Thyroglossal Duct Cyst Excision Dressing and drain care, showering, and activity limits after thyroglossal duct cyst removal. PDF
- Neck Mass Biopsy Incision care, showering, drain care if one was placed, and activity limits after neck mass biopsy or excision. PDF
- Submandibular Gland Excision Incision care below the jawline, drain care if one was placed, and what temporary lip or tongue changes mean. PDF
- Minor Salivary Gland Biopsy Lip swelling, soft foods, suture care, and when biopsy results arrive after a minor salivary gland (lip) biopsy. PDF
When to Seek Immediate Care
Most recoveries are smooth, but know the signs that require prompt attention.
Call 911 or go to the ER for
- Severe bleeding that cannot be controlled, or bleeding with lightheadedness or fainting
- After tonsil surgery: heavy bleeding, or spitting or vomiting blood
- Trouble breathing or shortness of breath
- Chest pain or a fast or irregular heartbeat
Call our office right away for
- Any bleeding after tonsil surgery, or bleeding after nose or sinus surgery that does not stop or worries you
- A temperature of 101°F (38.3°C) or higher that lasts more than 24 hours or starts 3 or more days after surgery, or any temperature of 102°F (38.9°C) or higher
- Severe pain that pain medicine does not relieve
- Signs of dehydration: no urine for 8 hours or more, or a dry mouth
- Trouble swallowing that keeps you from drinking enough
- Signs of infection: increasing redness, warmth or pus
Care After Any Procedure
Your procedure’s recovery guide has the details. These apply after almost every procedure.
- Medicines: take prescribed medicines as directed, and finish an antibiotic if we prescribed one. For most procedures, acetaminophen (Tylenol) with ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve) is enough for pain. Ibuprofen is fine after all our surgeries unless your surgeon said not to take it.
- Food and drink: drink plenty of fluids, about 60 ounces a day for adults. Start with clear fluids, broth and light meals. No alcohol for 24 hours after anesthesia, or while you take prescription pain medicine.
- Driving: do not drive for 24 hours after sedation or general anesthesia, or while you take prescription pain medicine. Arrange a ride home ahead of time.
- Follow-up visits: keep every follow-up visit. They are an important part of healing well.
- Infection: redness, warmth, swelling or pus at the surgery site that gets worse instead of better needs a prompt check. Call us; after hours, call 512-339-4040 to reach our on-call physician.
We're Here During Your Recovery
Have a question not covered here? Call any of our offices during business hours. After hours, call 512-339-4040 to reach our on-call physician.
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Austin
12309 N Mopac Expy STE 100
Austin, TX 78758
512-339-4040 -
Lakeway
4 Lakeway Centre Ct Unit B
Lakeway, TX
512-682-4798 -
Marble Falls
801 Steve Hawkins Pkwy
Marble Falls, TX
830-992-2830 -
Dripping Springs
800 US-290, Bldg. A
Dripping Springs, TX
512-339-4040