Medical Disclaimer

This is not medical advice

The Post-Op Bible explains what commonly happens during post-operative recovery. It does not diagnose, it does not treat, and it does not replace the instructions your surgeon gave you.

Every body heals differently, and your surgeon knows your procedure. Where this book and your surgeon differ, follow your surgeon.

If something feels concerning or outside what you were told to expect, contact your surgeon or your post-op recovery specialist. In an emergency, seek emergency care.

No practitioner relationship

Reading this book, watching its videos or using the assistant does not create a clinical relationship between you and us. Nobody here has examined you, and nothing here is written about your particular procedure, your particular surgeon or your particular body.

Timelines given in this book are general patterns. The timeline your surgeon gave you is the one that applies to you.

The assistant

The assistant on this site answers only from the written content of this book. It does not assess symptoms, it does not diagnose, and it will not tell you whether something is normal.

If a message describes a possible emergency, the assistant stops and tells you to contact your surgeon immediately or seek emergency care. That response is fixed and is not a clinical judgement: it is a refusal to make one.

When to seek care immediately

Contact your surgeon without delay, or seek emergency care if you cannot reach them, if you notice any of the following:

• Severe pain, or pain that is suddenly much worse
• Swelling or pain on one side only, particularly in a leg or calf
• Chest pain or shortness of breath
• A fever
• Redness or warmth that is spreading
• Heavy bleeding, or bleeding that will not stop
• Drainage that smells foul, or an incision that opens

This list is not exhaustive. Anything that feels concerning or outside what you were told to expect is a reason to contact your surgeon.