Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
Getting out of bed the day after surgery | CION Cancer Clinics
Most people are helped out of bed the day after surgery because moving early lowers the chance of chest infections, blood clots, a slow bowel and weak muscles. The first time may only mean sitting on the edge of the bed or taking a few steps to a chair, with someone beside you. This page explains how to get up safely, and when your team may ask you to wait. CION Cancer Clinics’ surgical oncologists in Hyderabad can talk this through with you.
MI
Medically reviewed by Dr. Mohammed ImaduddinConsultant Surgical Oncologist · MBBS, MS (General Surgery), MCh (Surgical Oncology) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
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On this page
- Why do they want you out of bed the day after surgery?
- How do you get out of bed safely with a fresh wound?
- What happens to the drip, drains and catheter when you stand?
- What is normal the first time, and what should you mention?
- What do families worry about when a patient is made to stand?
- When is getting up delayed, and what can this page not tell you?
- Common questions about getting out of bed after surgery
The short answer
Why do they want you out of bed the day after surgery?
Getting out of bed early lowers the chance of chest infections, blood clots, a slow bowel and weak muscles after an operation. For most people, sitting in a chair or standing beside the bed the day after surgery is safe, and it is one of the most useful things you can do for your own recovery.
It will feel too soon
Many families are surprised, and some are upset, when a nurse or physiotherapist arrives to help a person who has just had a big operation stand up. In the past people were kept flat for days. We now know that lying still is what causes many of the problems that slow recovery down. The team is not rushing you. They are following a plan made with your surgeon.
What getting up usually means on the first day
It rarely means a walk down the corridor straight away. The first time may be sitting on the edge of the bed with your feet on the floor, then standing, then a few steps to a chair. You will have someone with you. Each time after that usually gets a little easier.
Your own surgeon decides when it is safe for you. Some operations and some patients need a slower start.Step by step
How do you get out of bed safely with a fresh wound?
Ask for pain relief first
Tell the nurse before you start if you are sore. Pain relief helps more once it has had time to act, and standing up is much easier when pain is under control.
Roll onto your side
Bend your knees and roll as one piece, like a log, towards the edge of the bed. Hold a folded towel or pillow over your wound to support it.
Push up to sit
Let your legs slide over the edge as you push up with your arms. Sit for a minute. If you feel dizzy, stay sitting and say so.
Stand with help
With your feet flat and apart, stand up slowly with someone beside you. Look ahead, not at the floor. Take small steps to the chair.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
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What happens to the drip, drains and catheter when you stand?
Most of these can move with you. The nurse arranges them before you get up, so you do not have to think about them.
The drip
The bag hangs on a stand with wheels. Hold the stand, not the tube, and let it roll beside you. If the pump beeps, stop and call the nurse instead of pressing buttons.
Wound drains
The small bottles or bags collecting fluid from inside can be clipped to your gown or carried in a bag. Keep them below the level of the wound, and do not let them hang by the tube.
The urine catheter
The bag stays lower than your bladder so urine does not flow back. It can hang from the drip stand or be carried. It is often removed early to help you move freely.
Oxygen and monitors
Some people still need oxygen through the nose. A longer tube or a small portable cylinder lets you sit in the chair. Monitor leads may be taken off for the walk.
An alarm going off when a lead comes loose is common and not in itself a sign of danger.Side by side
What is normal the first time, and what should you mention?
Usually expected
Tell the nurse now
Feeling a little light-headed for a moment on sitting up
Dizziness that does not pass, or feeling about to faint
A pulling feeling at the wound as you move
Sudden sharp pain, or fluid soaking through the dressing
Legs that feel weak and shaky
New pain, swelling or warmth in one calf
Breathing a little faster than usual
Chest pain, or breathlessness that does not settle with rest
Feeling tired and needing to rest afterwards
Feeling sick and sweaty, or suddenly very cold and clammy
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Commonly believed
What do families worry about when a patient is made to stand?
"Moving so soon will open the stitches."
Wounds are closed to withstand normal movement like sitting, standing and walking. Supporting the wound with a pillow when you move or cough makes it feel safer. Heavy lifting is a different matter, and your team will tell you when that is allowed.
"Rest is what heals. He should stay in bed until he feels strong."
Strength comes back by moving, not by waiting. Every day in bed loses muscle, and older people lose it fastest. Rest between short periods of activity is the right balance.
"If it hurts to get up, something must be wrong."
Some soreness on moving is expected after surgery. What matters is whether pain relief is working well enough for you to move. If it is not, the answer is to review the pain relief, not to stay in bed.
"We should lift her so she does not have to do the work."
Pulling someone up by the arms can strain the wound and your own back. Let the nurse or physiotherapist show you how to help. The patient doing most of the work is the point.
Being straight with you
When is getting up delayed, and what can this page not tell you?
Early movement suits most people after most operations, but not everyone on the same day. Your team may ask you to wait if your blood pressure is low, if you are bleeding, if you still need a breathing machine or strong support for your heart, or if the operation involved the spine, a bone or a delicate join that needs protecting.
Some operations have their own rules
After certain head and neck, spine and limb operations, you may be told exactly how to lie, how far to bend and which side to get up from. Follow those instructions over any general advice, including this page.
What we cannot tell you here
This page cannot say when you personally will be ready, how far you should walk, or whether a feeling you have on standing is safe. Only the team who can see you, your wound and your observations can judge that. Ask them each morning what the goal for the day is, and who will help you reach it.
If you had trouble walking before surgery, tell the physiotherapist. The plan starts from where you were, not from an average patient.
Did you know
Sitting upright in a chair counts. Even before you can walk, sitting out of bed lets your lungs open more fully than lying down, and it gets your body used to being upright again.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about getting out of bed after surgery
Is it really safe to get up the day after a big operation?
For most people, yes, and it is usually safer than staying in bed. The team checks your blood pressure, pain and wound before helping you up, and someone stays beside you. If there is a reason to wait in your case, your surgeon will say so. Ask what today's plan is if nobody has told you.
What if I feel faint when I stand?
Sit back down straight away and tell the person helping you. A brief light-headed feeling is common after lying down for a long time, especially with pain medicines on board. The nurse may check your blood pressure and try again more slowly. Do not try to push through feeling faint on your own.
Can a family member help me get up?
Yes, once the nurse or physiotherapist has shown them how, and the team agrees you are ready to move with family help. In the first few attempts, let the trained staff lead. Ask them to show the family member how to stand beside you, what to hold and what not to pull.
I have a drain and a catheter. Can I still walk?
Usually yes. Drains, catheter bags and drips are designed to move with you. The nurse will arrange them before you stand. Keep bags below the wound or bladder, and hold the drip stand rather than the tubing. Stop and call for help if anything pulls or starts to leak.
Will getting up make my pain worse?
You may feel more soreness while moving, and it often eases once you are sitting or walking. Over the following days, people who move early usually find stiffness and wind pain get better faster. Ask for pain relief before a planned walk, not after the pain has already built up.
How do I get back into bed?
Do the steps in reverse. Sit on the edge of the bed, lower yourself onto your side while lifting your legs up together, then roll onto your back as one piece. Hold a pillow over your wound. Raise the head of the bed first if that makes it easier.
My mother is elderly and frail. Does she still have to get up?
Older and frailer people often gain the most from early movement, because they lose strength fastest in bed. Her plan may be gentler and slower, perhaps sitting in a chair before standing. Tell the physiotherapist how she moved before the operation, so they set a realistic goal.
What if I simply refuse to get up?
It is your choice, and nobody should force you. But it is worth telling the team why. Often the reason is pain, fear of the wound, feeling sick or feeling faint, and each of those can be helped. A short try with good support is usually less frightening than people expect.
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Sources
- Royal College of Anaesthetists — Patient information
- Cancer Research UK — Surgery for cancer
- National Cancer Institute — Surgery to treat cancer
- Macmillan Cancer Support — Surgery
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
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