Diet: During the first 24 hours, take clear cold liquids. You may have a regular diet thereafter or as tolerated.
Restricted Activities: for the first four to six hours after surgery, limit activity to bathroom privileges. After that, you may generally resume near-normal activity. No activity requiring coordination or driving for 24 hours after anesthesia and 6 hours after taking pain medication. You must not smoke. Smoking will significantly increase pain and slow healing.
Voice Rest: We recommend voice rest for 3 days and then a modified voice rest after that until your follow-up appointment with the surgeon. This means that you should not talk at all for the first 3 days after the surgery. After this, you should not whisper, yell, scream, or sing, and you should avoid talking loudly or speaking for extended periods of time. You should not speak unless you have something important to say. The surgeon can advise you when you may begin to use your voice more forcefully.
Post-Operative Pain: You may have a mild sore throat for 2-3 days after surgery. You may also experience a sore/stiff neck and pain between the shoulder blades. After the surgery, you can use throat lozenges or sprays to help numb the throat and make eating more comfortable. Tylenol can also be used to relieve discomfort. Do not use aspirin, Ibuprofen, or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications for 48 hours after the surgery.
Bleeding: During the first few days following surgery, you may cough up some dark blood or blood clots. If bright red blood is present, please notify your doctor immediately.
Fever: It is common for you to run a temperate up to 101.5 degrees for the first few days after surgery. If you experience a fever above 101.5 degrees for more than a day or a fever of over 103 degrees for any period of time, call the office.
Sleeping: You should sleep in whatever position is most comfortable, preferably with the head slightly elevated, and it is recommended that a humidifier be used if available to keep the throat moist.
