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After the Procedure

You may or may not be taken to the intensive care unit (ICU); however, you may be taken to a post anesthesia care unit (PACU). You will be connected to monitors that will constantly display your electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) tracing, blood pressure, other pressure readings, breathing rate, and your oxygen level.

You will remain in either the ICU or PACU for a designated period of time and then transferred to a regular nursing care unit.

You will be given pain medication for incisional pain or you may have had an epidural (a type of anesthesia that involves continually infusing an anesthetic medication through a thin catheter (hollow tube) into the space that surrounds the spinal cord in the lower back, causing numbness in the lower body, abdomen, and/or chest) placed during surgery which will help with postoperative pain.

Your activity will be gradually increased as you get out of bed and walk around for longer periods of time. Your diet will be advanced to solid foods as tolerated.

Arrangements will be made for a follow-up visit with your physician.

At home:

Once you are home, it will be important to keep the surgical area clean and dry. Your physician will give you specific bathing instructions. The sutures or surgical staples will be removed during a follow-up office visit, in the event they were not removed before leaving the hospital.

The surgical incision may be tender or sore for several days after an aneurysm repair procedure. Take a pain reliever for soreness as recommended by your physician.

You should not drive until your physician tells you to. Other activity restrictions may apply.

Notify your physician to report any of the following:

• Fever and/or chills
• Redness, swelling, or bleeding or other drainage from the incision site
• Increase in pain around the incision site

Your physician may give you additional or alternate instructions after the procedure, depending on your particular situation.