Ask the Strategist: What Do I Need When Recovering From Surgery?

Depending on the type of surgery and your personal preferences, you may want an ice orheat pack, so it’s best to get something that functions as both. “While heat is effective for chronic-type pain and muscle pain, cold therapy is especially useful for treatment of acute and incisional pain,” says Robin Hertel, a registered nurse and president of theAcademy of Medical-Surgical Nurses. Using ice packs after wisdom tooth removal helps reduce pain and swelling of the cheeks. Plastic surgeonDr. John Paul Tutelasays ice and heat can be helpful as long as they’re used with caution. “A lot of times, immediately after surgery, your sensation isn’t normal, so you can use these things too much and actually cause an injury,” he says.

For another non-pharmaceutical option, Hertel suggests trying an over-the-counter transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation device which uses electrical stimulation (via pads attached to the body) to reduce pain. “It sends alternate messages to the spinal cord and the brain to block out the pain sensation,” she says. “It works for muscle pain and it helps with incisional pain.”

After surgery, you’ll likely be prescribed a number of painkillers and other pills. To keep track of everything you’re taking, this discreet, waterproof pill case, which can be hooked onto a key chain, is a lot more stylish than one of those bulky, plastic pill containers. We once called it “the007 of pill boxes.”

Nearly everyone we spoke with recommended loose, comfortable clothes — like sweats — that are non-constricting and easy to take on and off. As podiatristDr. Ernest L. Isaacsonsays, “skinny pants are not ideal,” especially if you have to navigate around a cast, bulky bandage, or splint. So skip the slim-leg jogger pants and go with classicsweatpantswith a wide leg opening. For specific types of surgeries, for which you have to be careful around certain areas or need somewhere to store a drain (common for breast surgeries),Grace Quantock, an author, wellness coach, and founder ofHealing Boxes, likes the comfortable and functional pieces fromHealing Threads.

An equally affordable and comfy option for women.

Although it’s designed forbreastfeeding, Tutela says theu-shaped Boppy pillow can be used as a support after breast surgery or even to sit on after plastic surgery procedures like a buttock fat transfer, as it keeps your body weight off the incision site. Hertel says a pillow is also a good idea for those recovering from other procedures. “When you have big surgery to the abdomen or chest, when you cough or move it really pulls on that incision line and hurts,” she says. “But if you cover it and hold some pressure against it [with a pillow], it really minimizes the pain.”

One way to make their recovery more comfortable is this supportive, foam pillow for sitting up in bed to read or watch television. There’s also a built-in pocket for a phone or remote control.

Socksare another popular pick for those recovering from most types of surgery. According to Quantock, “Often your circulation will slow down if you’re not moving much,” leaving feet feeling cold. Hertel likes gripper socks in particular because “they not only provide extra warmth but decrease the risk of slipping and falling,” which could complicate your recovery.

Whether it’s from tape used to keep an IV line in place or the electrode sensors of an ECG, it’s likely that you’ll wake up from surgery with some sort of sticky residue somewhere on your skin. When general surgeonDr. Debby NowakfoundedPost-Op Provisions, a company that curates gift boxes for people staying in the hospital or recovering from surgery at home, she made sure to include a medical-grade adhesive remover because it’s something patients often asked for but didn’t know they’d need.

Going through any sort of medical procedure can bestressful, so it’s important to focus on mental recovery as well as physical. Patients who use the relaxation and visualization techniques inPrepare for Surgery, Heal Fasterhave actually been shown instudiesto have fewer complications, require less pain medication, and even get released from the hospital sooner than those who do not. And that’s all in addition to feeling more relaxed and less anxious. The book is focused on preparing for surgery, but the same techniques can be used if you’re feeling anxious or upset afterwards. The program described in the book is so effective it’s offered as a workshop at hospitals like theNYU Langone Medical Center

Boredom is an issue if you’re laid up in bed after surgery and can’t do your normal activities. “Coloring booksare a good option, even for adults, because they give the person something to do besides watch television and don’t require a lot of concentration, which can be difficult if the person is needing to use pain medication,” says Hertel. If they’re not into enchanted forests or other typical coloring book themes, they should enjoy the geometric patterns in this one.

Of course, if they do just want to watch television (and who wouldn’t?), you can give them hours of entertainment in the form of a Netflix gift card.

Doctors and nurses recommend staying hydrated after surgery. Hertel says, “water intake is very important not only to relieve thirst and dry mouth, which can be caused by anesthesia and pain medications, but also to promote elimination and avoid constipation [another side effect of narcotic pain medication].” A good-lookingwater bottlein their favorite color that will keep water cold for 12 hours makes a good gift for a recuperating friend.