1.Food: You may have any foods you are comfortable with eating once you have returned home from the hospital.

2.Activity: Light activity only. No driving for one week. If additional procedures have been performed simultaneously with the incontinence procedure, ask your doctor about driving restrictions. No heavy lifting or strenuous exercise for 6 weeks. No lifting greater than 20 pounds until cleared to do so. Moderate walking only. To avoid tearing sutures before they have healed, no sexual intercourse, tampons, or douching for six weeks.

3.Baths or showers: You may take a bath or shower according to your preference and comfort.

What to Expect:

1.You may have to void more often during the first few weeks after surgery. You may also experience a sudden urgency to void. This will subside once all of the sutures have healed (approximately 6 weeks).

2.You may feel more tired than usual, especially during the first couple of weeks. It is important to take it easy so that your procedure will heal appropriately. You may intermittently experience vaginal spotting and/or a yellowish discharge. This is normal as the stitches dissolve, and is not indicative of an infection.

3.Pain: You will be given a prescription for pain medication. Many patients do not need this after the first couple of days, and are able to take Advil or Tylenol as needed. Expect to have some muscle soreness in the groin area for several days after the surgery. This can be relieved by Advil or Tylenol, as well as baths and showers. You may also apply a heating pad as needed.

4.Incisions: You will have some small incisions in the groin area, which you may be unable to see. If they have Steri-Strips or bandages on them, remove them after 3 – 5 days. You may wash with soap and water at any time.

5.Problems to call for: Please call us if you have difficulty urinating, are unable to empty your bladder, or have burning with urination. It is completely normal to have increased frequency of urination for several weeks after the surgery as part of the healing process. Also call us if you have a temperature greater than 101º, severe pain, or other problems related to your incisions.

6.UTIs: It is slightly more common to have a urinary tract infection during the first year after the procedure. Please call us if you think this is coming on. We will have you come into the office and leave a urine sample to check for any type of urinary tract infection.

If you have had any other procedures performed along with your TVT or TVTO, please ask your doctor for any additional instructions which may pertain to your particular surgery. Thank you, and we wish you a speedy recovery!