Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
The first week at home after cancer surgery | CION Cancer Clinics
The first week at home after cancer surgery is about gentle walking several times a day, small regular meals, taking medicines on time and watching for anything that gets worse instead of better. Tiredness, some pain and poor sleep are normal. This page explains what to expect, what to look after, what to set up before discharge, and when to call the hospital. 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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The short answer
What should the first week at home look like?
The first week at home is about three things: gentle walking several times a day, small regular meals, and watching for anything that is getting worse instead of better. You are not meant to feel well yet. Tiredness, some pain and poor sleep are all normal.
Why coming home feels harder than expected
In hospital, nurses checked on you, gave medicines on time and noticed changes. At home, that job passes to you and your family. Many people feel anxious in the first night or two. That is common, and it settles once you have a routine and know who to call.
What your discharge papers are for
Keep the discharge summary, the medicine list and the hospital phone number in one folder near the bed. The summary says which operation was done, which medicines to take, how to care for the wound or drain, and when to come back. If anything on it is unclear, call and ask before the first night, not after something has gone wrong.
This page gives general guidance. Where your surgeon has given you different instructions, follow theirs.Day by day
How does the first week usually unfold?
A common pattern after a larger operation. Yours may move faster or slower.
The first couple of days
The journey home is tiring, so expect to sleep a lot. Walk to the bathroom and around the room every few hours. Take pain tablets on schedule rather than waiting for pain to build up.
The middle of the week
Walks get a little longer, perhaps to the verandah or along the corridor. Appetite may still be poor. Small meals every few hours work better than three large ones. Bowels often start to settle.
Towards the end of the week
Pain should be clearly easing. You may manage a short walk outside or sit with visitors for a while. A clinic visit to check the wound or remove stitches is often due around now.
If things are not moving forward
If pain, fever, vomiting or tiredness is getting worse day by day, do not wait for the planned appointment. Call the hospital and describe what has changed.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistAt home
What will you be looking after at home?
The wound
Keep it clean and dry. Follow the instructions you were given about bathing and dressings. Some redness right at the edges and mild itching are common as it heals.
Spreading redness, heat, swelling or pus needs a call the same day.A drain or urine tube
Some people go home with one. You will be shown how to empty it and note the amount. Keep the bag below the level of the wound and keep a simple written record for the clinic.
Medicines
Your list may include pain tablets, an injection to prevent clots, and your usual medicines. Never stop, start or change any of them on your own. If a medicine does not seem to suit you, call.
Keep handy
- A written medicine chart with times
- A pill box for each day
Bowels and passing urine
Pain tablets and less movement often cause constipation. Drink enough fluids and walk. Tell the team if you have not opened your bowels for several days, or if passing urine is painful.
Eating and drinking
Follow any special diet you were given for your operation. Otherwise, soft home food with protein at every meal: dal, eggs, curd, milk, fish or chicken.
Sleep and mood
Broken sleep and low mood in the first week are very common. Short daytime naps are fine. If worry or sadness is overwhelming, say so at the clinic visit.
!
Call or go to hospital the same day
Fever or shivering. Pain that is getting worse, or not controlled by your tablets. A wound that opens, bleeds or leaks pus. A sudden jump in drain output, or blood in it. New breathlessness or chest pain. A calf that is swollen, hot and painful. Vomiting that stops you keeping fluids down. Do not wait until the morning, and do not take antibiotics left over at home first.
Leave a number, we will call you
One field. No form to fill in, and no charge for the call.
Before you leave hospital
What should be ready at home before discharge?
- A bed on the ground floor if stairs are difficult
- A clear path to the bathroom, with a light on at night
- A western toilet or a commode chair if squatting is hard
- A family member at home for at least the first few days
- The hospital number saved on two phones
- The name of the nearest hospital with an emergency department
Commonly believed
What do relatives often advise that is not true?
"Do not let them get out of bed this week."
Staying in bed raises the chance of clots in the legs and chest infections, and weakens muscles quickly. Short walks every few hours, with rest in between, help healing. Someone should walk alongside for the first few days in case of dizziness.
"Visitors show respect, so the house should be full."
Crowds bring infections and tire the patient out. A short visit from a few close family members is kinder. It is fine to ask others to call instead, or to wait until recovery is further along.
"Stop the tablets once the pain goes."
Some medicines, such as clot-prevention injections or antibiotics, are meant to be finished even when you feel fine. Pain tablets can often be reduced as pain eases, but ask your team how. Never stop a prescribed medicine on your own.
"A bath with neem water will heal the wound faster."
Soaking the wound in any water before it has healed can let infection in. Follow the bathing instructions on your discharge sheet. Keep home remedies, oils and powders off the wound unless your team has said they are safe.
Being straight with you
What can this page not tell you?
This page cannot tell you what is normal for your own operation. A week after a thyroid operation looks very different from a week after surgery on the stomach or bowel. Your discharge summary and your surgical team are the right guide for your specific situation.
When it is right to call, even if it feels small
Families from districts far from Hyderabad often hold back from calling because they do not want to trouble the doctor, or because a hospital visit means a long journey. Call anyway. A phone conversation can often settle a worry, or tell you early that you need to come in. Early help is simpler than late help.
For the family member doing the caring
Looking after someone in the first week is tiring. Take turns if you can, especially at night. Keep a short daily note of temperature, pain, food, walking and drain output. Bring it to the first follow-up visit.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about the first week at home
Can I have a bath in the first week?
It depends on your wound and dressing. Many people can have a quick shower or a bucket bath while keeping the wound covered or patting it dry afterwards. Soaking in a tub is usually not advised until it has healed. Check the instructions on your discharge sheet, and ask if you are unsure.
How much should I walk each day?
Little and often. Start with walks around the room or the house every few hours while you are awake, and go a little further each day. You should feel pleasantly tired, not exhausted. If you become breathless, dizzy or have chest pain while walking, stop and call the hospital.
Is it normal to have no appetite?
Yes, very common in the first week. Eat small amounts often rather than forcing big meals. Soft foods with protein, such as idli with dal, curd rice, eggs or milk, are easier. If you are hardly eating or drinking anything at all, or you keep vomiting, tell your team.
Can I climb stairs at home?
Most people can manage stairs slowly, one step at a time, holding the rail, with someone beside them the first few times. If stairs make you very breathless or dizzy, set up a bed on the ground floor for now. Your surgeon may give specific advice after some operations.
The wound is itchy. Is that a problem?
Mild itching is a normal part of healing. Do not scratch it or apply creams, oils or powders unless your team suggests them. Itching together with spreading redness, heat, swelling or discharge is different, and needs a call to the hospital the same day.
When is the first follow-up visit?
Your discharge summary should give the date. It is often within the first week or two, to check the wound, remove stitches or a drain, and sometimes to discuss the pathology report. If no date is written, call and ask before you travel home to your district.
Can I sleep on my side?
Usually you can sleep in whatever position is comfortable, as long as it does not press on the wound or a drain. Pillows to support the belly or arm can help. Some operations, such as certain breast or chest surgeries, come with specific advice, so check with your team.
Who should we call at night if something changes?
Save the hospital number your team gave you, and know the nearest emergency department. If the problem is serious, such as heavy bleeding, chest pain or severe breathlessness, go straight to the nearest emergency department and carry the discharge summary with you.
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Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
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Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
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Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
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Dr. Muralidhar Muddusetty
MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery) (AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh)
Surgical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Vinay Mamidala
MBBS, MS(General Surgery), M.Ch(Surgical Oncology), FMAS, FARIS(Ongoing)
Surgical Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
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Hematologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Vajja Sandeep Kumar
MBBS, MS (General Surgery), DrNB (Surgical Oncology), FALS Oncology
Surgical Oncologist
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Sources
- Cancer Research UK — Surgery for cancer
- Macmillan Cancer Support — Surgery
- American Cancer Society — Cancer surgery
- Cancer.Net — What to Expect When Having 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.
Keep reading
Related pages
Recovery Timeline After Cancer SurgeryHow recovery usually unfolds over the following monthsWound, Stitches and ScarsLooking after the wound day to dayDrains, Tubes, Lines and CathetersGoing home with a drain or urine tubeCaretaker and Family Guide to SurgerySupport for the family member doing the caring
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