How long to wear compression stockings after surgery

The use of compression stockings after surgery is recommended by both surgeons and anesthesiologists . They are much more effective than elastic bandages, with their help it is possible to avoid undesirable consequences and thromboembolism. Why do we need compression stockings after surgery , how to choose the right special underwear, what is the duration of wearing hospital products, we will tell in our next article.

Anti-embolic products

Any surgical intervention is a serious test for the patient's vessels. The walls of capillaries can be damaged, blood flow decreases, while blood clotting increases, there is a risk of air entering the vein. At the end of the surgical exposure, a blood clot can clog the vessel. In addition, the first time after surgery, the patient does not move much, leads to bed rest, and this factor can also lead to thrombosis. Embolism is life-threatening, according to statistics, more than 7% of patients who have undergone surgery die from blood clots per year. The lower extremities are most susceptible to embolism. To avoid undesirable consequences and death, it is necessary to choose the right orthopedic stockings after the operation and use them in accordance with the recommendations of specialists .

Anti-embolic products prevent stagnation of blood in the legs. It has been proven that wearing stockings after surgery minimizes deaths caused by blockage of blood vessels by a thrombus, their number is almost halved.

How long to wear compression stockings after surgery is determined by the doctor , as well as when you can remove compression stockings after surgery . The sock of hospital knitwear is indicated both for abdominal intervention and for laparoscopy. Such products are not cheap, but they also serve for a long time. The low price of specialized knitwear, most likely, will indicate the low quality of linen or non-compliance with the declared parameters.

Choice of postoperative products

Therapeutic jersey is divided into groups depending on the force of squeezing the lower extremities. The lowest (first) class corresponds to a compressive effect of 18 - 22 mm Hg. Higher (second) - 23 - 32 mm Hg.

Products of the first category are usually recommended for wear after abdominal interventions and laparoscopy. Sometimes they are shown after childbirth. If the indications for intervention are problems with the veins in the legs, products of the second category are used. What stockings are needed after vein surgery will be prompted by the surgeon who will carry out the treatment. In some specific cases, experts may recommend tights or stockings. You may only need tights for one leg, and there are such options in the product line.

If you are planning to undergo treatment at a large medical center, there will most likely be a store selling orthopedic underwear nearby. Vendors from specialized departments selling anti-embolic products will help you choose the right size, depending on your build, height and foot size. You also need to know the circumference of the lower leg, knee and thigh. If necessary, managers of specialized stores will also explain why you should wear compression stockings after the operation. And depending on the treatment, how long you need to wear stockings after surgery .

In general, you should buy hospital knitwear either in specialized departments of pharmacies or on specialized sites.

Ordinary tights with a slimming effect should not be confused with hospital underwear, you need to understand that compression products are simply not sold in a regular store.

When to dress

Whether it is necessary to wear supportive stockings before the upcoming surgery and when to remove compression stockings after surgery are important points that always worry patients in surgical departments. Anti-thrombotic underwear is worn immediately before childbirth or surgery or immediately after surgery on varicose veins. Compression stockings after vein surgery have a higher pressure class. The veins narrow, and due to this, the patient's blood flow increases and the risk of venous blood stasis decreases.

Usually in surgical hospitals, special white knitwear is used, the toes of the stocking are open. Through the hole, the doctor can monitor the condition of the vessels in the legs, the correctness of blood flow, and prevent the appearance of specific purulent discharges on the veins.

Dress up without problems

It is necessary to wear antithrombotic products in special gloves, slowly, avoiding twisting and stretch marks. It is better to do this in the morning, when the swelling of the legs is minimal. Experts also recommend lying down for 15-20 minutes before this, lifting your legs up on the roller. If you are going to put on the product in the middle of the day, such a measure will be simply necessary in order to cope with the task of "little bloodshed".

Products are put on dry clean skin. It is better to remove rings, rings or bracelets so as not to stretch or deform medical knitwear. It is equally important to ask your healthcare provider when to remove your compression stockings after surgery . At a minimum, they need to be carried for a day.

When to remove stockings after surgery

How long you need to wear compression stockings after surgery will tell the specialist of the medical institution . In each case, this period may be different, on average from several days to two to three weeks. This takes into account how long the patient is prescribed full bed rest.

With surgical intervention on the joints, the period is longer: three to four weeks. Deciding on your own how long to wear compression stockings after surgery is quite difficult for the patient. Experts warn to remove hospital knitwear, based on their own considerations, if it seemed to you that a sufficient number of hours or days had passed.

In general, how many days after surgery to wear compression stockings , determine the following factors:

• the complexity of the intervention and its type (cavitary or laparoscopy);
• the age of the patient and his state of health;
• the presence of complications;
• blood clotting of a particular patient;
• condition of the veins, heredity and predisposition to varicose veins;
• the absence or presence of bad habits.

Women and men

Sometimes the representatives of the stronger sex have not only the question of how to wear compression stockings after surgery , but also whether men need to wear them. Experts are unequivocal in their judgments that not only women need antithrombotic stockings.

Men who pay attention to their own health are engaged in physical education and lead an active lifestyle. After surgery, during physical education, doctors unequivocally recommend wearing "smart" underwear. how long to wear compression stockings after surgery during physical activity, but it can be a rather long period of wearing, up to a year. In other cases, compression stockings for men after surgery are used according to the same principle as for women.

Proper product care

How long to wear stockings after surgery and how to care for them if you want your compression garment to last you as long as possible? It is worth paying attention to the correct operation of products. It is necessary to wash them with special detergents and do this even after a single use. Sweat can adversely affect the elasticity of knitted fibers. When sending the product to the laundry, it is necessary to follow the recommendations of physicians on the duration of wear. In order not to violate them, it is advisable to buy another pair of elongated golf supports.

Information on how long to wear compression stockings after surgery , how to clean and dry them, is also contained in the annotation for each compression product. Drying in a horizontal position is preferable, not in direct sunlight, and not on batteries. With proper use of linen, it can last you about a year.

Why after the operation you need to wear compression stockings , it becomes clear from all of the above. Smart knitwear will help to avoid thromboembolism, edema, complications and will look attractive on your legs, which is especially important for women. Postoperative "support" is also necessary for men. Knowing how to wear compression stockings after surgery , you can be sure of a positive result of the treatment.