After your operation for colon cancer

Getting moving Back to top

After your operation, you’ll be encouraged to start moving around as soon as possible. This is an essential part of your recovery. Even if you have to stay in bed, it’s important to do regular leg movements and deep-breathing exercises.

A physiotherapist or nurse will explain the exercises to you.

As you won’t be moving around as much as usual, you may be at risk of blood clots. To prevent this, you’ll be asked to wear special stockings, and you may also be given injections of a drug (heparin) to prevent blood clots. These are given under the skin (subcutaneously).

Drips and diet Back to top

When you go back to the ward, you will have a drip (infusion) that gives you fluids through a thin tube (cannula) inserted into a vein in your hand or arm. This will be taken out once you’re able to eat and drink normally again.

You may also have a thin tube that passes down your nose into your stomach, which is known as a nasogastric (NG) tube. This allows any fluids to be removed from your stomach so that you don’t feel sick. It’s normally taken out within a few days.

You will probably be ready to start taking sips of water on the evening or day after your operation. This will be increased gradually, and you will start a light diet as soon as possible.

Drains Back to top

Often, a small tube (catheter) is put into your bladder to drain urine into a collecting bag. This is usually taken out after a couple of days.

You may also have a drainage tube in your wound, to drain any extra fluid and make sure that the wound heals properly. A drain isn’t always needed.

Pain Back to top

After your operation, you’ll probably have some pain or discomfort for a few days. There are different types of painkillers that can be given to you either at regular intervals or when you need them. You may be given painkillers into a vein in your arm through a pump. The pump can be set to give you a controlled amount of painkiller, or you may be able to control this yourself by pressing a button. This is called patient-controlled analgesia (PCA).

You may be given painkillers into the space around your spinal cord through a very fine tube placed in your back during surgery (epidural). The tubing connects to a pump, which gives you a continuous dose of painkillers.

Always let your doctor or nurse know if you have any pain or discomfort. The painkillers or their doses can be changed. Some people may continue to have some pain after they go home. Let your doctor or nurse know if you think you might need painkillers to take home with you.

Going home Back to top

Depending on the type of operation you’ve had, you’ll probably be ready to go home 3–10 days after surgery. If you think that you might have problems when you go home (for example, if you live alone or have several flights of stairs to climb), let your nurse or the social worker know when you’re admitted to the ward. They can then arrange help before you leave hospital.

You’ll be given an appointment to attend an outpatient clinic for your post-operative check-up. At the appointment your doctor will be able to discuss with you whether you need to have any further treatment, such as chemotherapy.

Some people take longer than others to recover from their operation. If you have any problems, you may find it helpful to talk to someone who is not directly involved with your illness.

Our cancer support specialists| can talk to you, and tell you how to contact a counsellor or local cancer support group.