Once you have been discharged from the hospital after surgery, you need to know when your recovery has changed from a normal recovery to one that may need medical intervention.

If you have any of the following symptoms in the weeks following surgery, be sure to call your surgeon or family physician for further instruction. You may be asked to report to the emergency room, or your physician may feel that your symptoms can be managed at home.

Fever Over 101 Degrees
A slight fever is not uncommon after having surgery, but a fever over 101 degrees may indicate that you have an infection.

Unexplained Leg Pain
One of the major risks of surgery is the development of blood clots in the legs, a condition known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT). These clots can be very dangerous as they can travel through the bloodstream to the lungs or brain, causing difficulty breathing, a stroke or other problems.
Bloody, Very Dark or “Tarry” Bowel Movements
These are signs of blood in your stool and should be reported immediately, unless your physician specifically explained that you may experience some bleeding in the stool in the days immediately after surgery.

Coughing Up or Vomiting Blood
These are signs of a potential medical emergency, where blood is in the stomach or lungs. Contact your surgeon or seek medical attention immediately.

Severe, Unexplained or Uncontrollable Pain
If your pain was manageable after surgery but then becomes significantly worse or uncontrollable with no clear explanation, there may be a surgical complication.

Difficulty Breathing
A change in your ability to breathe is a significant problem after surgery and may indicate a serious problem, such as a blood clot in the lung. Do not ignore any problems with your breathing that begin after surgery. Seek medical attention.