Post-Operative Medications

Prior to surgery, one of Dr. Chahla’s physician assistants will be reaching out to you over the phone to discuss your post-operative medications. Post-operative medications may vary slightly due to a patient’s allergies, current non-operative medications, or the surgical procedure itself. However, in general, a blood thinner (typically Aspirin) will be prescribed to help mitigate the risk of blood clots following surgery. Additionally, a pain medication (typically Norco) will also be prescribed. Norco is a narcotic medication that we recommend taking as needed to help control your post-operative pain. Usually, our patients are beginning to discontinue use of the narcotic medication after 3-4 days following their surgery, depending on the type of procedure that was performed. Finally, an anti-nausea medication called Zofran can also be prescribed to help alleviate post-operative nausea if one experiences this side effect from the anesthesia.

Dr. Chahla’s physician assistant will take time during this phone call to answer any questions that you may have regarding the specific medications being prescribed for your upcoming surgery. They will also confirm your preferred pharmacy. Post-operative medications will be sent prior to surgery. Although you do not need to begin any of the medications before your surgery, we do recommend that you pick up the medications prior to surgery day in order to ease your stress on the day of your procedure. This also ensures that you have your medications for after surgery in the event that your pharmacy is closed when you are discharged from the surgery center.