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Post Anesthetic Care Unit

  • After your surgery, you will wake up in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU), also known as the Recovery Room.
  • Your PACU Registered Nurse will check your blood pressure, pulse and operative site frequently. You will be asked to rate your level of pain on a 0 to 10 scale. The Registered Nurse will provide you with pain medication. This scale rating will help the
  • Registered Nurses to know how well medications are working and if changes are needed.
  • If you feel nauseous or if your pain is not manageable, inform your Registered Nurse.
  • You will have oxygen on until you no longer need it.
  • You will stay in the Recovery Room until the Nurse assesses that you are ready to go to either the Day Surgery Unit or an inpatient bed. You will then be transferred on your stretcher/bed.
  • After your surgery, you will be encouraged to move as much as possible.
  • You will be asked to begin your deep breathing and coughing and leg exercises to prevent complications.

Important Exercises

Deep breathing and coughing exercise:

Take a deep breath in through your nose and blow out through your mouth. Repeat this 3 times. On the 3rd breath, cough 2-3 times. This is done every 2 hours for the first day and then every 4 hours for the next 1 to 2 days.

Leg exercise:

Point your toes toward your head and then toward the foot of the bed. Make your feet go around in circles 5 times. This is done 4 to 5 times a day until you are walking.