Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
Oxygen and nebulisers after cancer surgery | CION Cancer Clinics
Most people need extra oxygen for only a short time after a major operation, often a day or a few days. It is reduced as you breathe deeply, sit up and walk. People who had lung surgery, already have lung or heart disease, or develop a chest infection may need it longer. This page explains why oxygen is used, how you can help and when to get help. 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
How long will you need oxygen after surgery?
Most people need extra oxygen only for a short time after a major operation, often a day or a few days, and it is reduced as you start breathing deeply and moving. People who have had lung surgery, who already have lung or heart disease, or who develop a chest infection may need it for longer.
Why oxygen is needed at all
Anaesthesia, strong pain medicines and lying in bed all make breathing shallower. After surgery on the chest or upper belly, pain also stops you taking full breaths. Small parts of the lungs can then stay partly closed, and less oxygen reaches the blood. Extra oxygen fills that gap while your breathing recovers. Needing it is expected and is not a sign that something has gone wrong.
How the team decides to reduce it
A small clip on your finger measures the oxygen level in your blood. When that level holds steady on less oxygen, the team turns the flow down step by step, then stops it. This is called weaning. It may take several tries, and a short step back is common. You may also move from a mask to nasal prongs before oxygen stops completely. That is a sign of progress.
Your target oxygen level may be different from the person in the next bed, especially if you have long-term lung disease. The team sets it for you.
!
Do not wait if
At home after surgery, go to the nearest emergency department the same day if breathlessness is getting worse, your lips or fingertips look blue, you have chest pain, you are coughing up blood, or you have a fever with a cough. On the ward, press the call bell for any sudden change in breathing. If oxygen is being used at home, never smoke or allow a flame or a gas stove near it.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistWhat you may see
Which kinds of oxygen and breathing help are used?
The team chooses by how much help you need. You may move from one to another as you recover.
Nasal prongs
Two short soft tubes that sit just inside the nostrils. They give a low flow and let you eat, drink and talk easily. They can dry the nose.
Face mask
A clear mask over the nose and mouth, used when you need more oxygen. It must be taken off to eat, so ask the nurse to switch you to prongs during meals if allowed.
High-flow or pressure support
Warm, moist oxygen at a high flow through wide nasal prongs, or a tight-fitting mask that gives gentle pressure. Used in high dependency or intensive care when breathing needs extra support.
Nebuliser
A machine that turns liquid medicine or salt water into a fine mist you breathe through a mask or mouthpiece.
Used to
- Loosen thick phlegm
- Open narrowed airways
- Ease a dry, irritated chest
What you can do
How can you help yourself come off oxygen?
Keep pain under control
Pain is the main reason people breathe shallowly. Ask for pain relief before it becomes bad, especially before exercises and walking.
Sit up
Sitting upright in a chair or propped in bed lets your lungs expand far better than lying flat. Try to spend time out of bed each day.
Breathe deeply and cough
Take slow, deep breaths and hold for a moment, several times an hour. You may be given a small breathing device to practise with. Hold a pillow against the wound to cough.
Walk a little, often
Short walks on the ward, with help at first, open the lungs and clear phlegm. The oxygen can usually come with you on a portable cylinder. Stop and rest if you feel breathless or dizzy.
Leave a number, we will call you
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Before discharge
Will you need oxygen at home?
Most people do not. The team usually wants your oxygen level to stay steady on room air, at rest and while walking, before you go home.
Who might go home with oxygen
People who already used oxygen before the operation, those with severe long-term lung disease, and some people after major lung surgery may be sent home with a small machine called a concentrator or with cylinders. If this is planned, you and a family member will be shown how to use it safely and how much to use. Home oxygen is a medical treatment, not something to buy and use without advice. The team will tell you when to use it and will arrange a review.
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you how long you in particular will need oxygen, or what level is safe for you. Those depend on the operation, your lungs before surgery and how you recover. Ask your team what they expect, and what would make them keep you in longer. If you are worried the oxygen is being stopped too soon, or kept on too long, it is fine to ask the nurse why.
If you smoke, stopping before and after surgery helps your lungs recover. Ask the team for support to stop.Commonly believed
What do families often believe about oxygen?
"Once you start oxygen, the body gets used to it and cannot stop."
Oxygen is not habit-forming. After surgery it is simply reduced as the lungs recover. If someone needs it for longer, that is because of the lungs, not because of the oxygen.
"More oxygen is always better, so turn it up."
Too much oxygen can be harmful for some people, especially those with long-term lung disease. Please do not change the flow yourself. The team sets it to a target level for you.
"A nebuliser means the lungs are badly damaged."
Nebulisers are used very often after surgery, usually to loosen phlegm or ease a tight chest. Many contain only salt water. They are a comfort measure far more often than a sign of trouble.
"She is on oxygen, so she should rest flat and not move."
Sitting up and walking with help usually shortens the time on oxygen. The cylinder can come along. Resting flat for long periods raises the chance of a chest infection.
On the monitor and chart
What do the words on your chart mean?
- SpO2 or saturation
- The oxygen level in your blood, measured by the clip on your finger.
- Room air
- Breathing without any extra oxygen.
- Weaning
- Reducing oxygen step by step as your breathing recovers.
- Atelectasis
- Small areas of lung that have partly closed, common after surgery and helped by deep breathing and walking.
- Incentive spirometer
- A small plastic device you breathe through to practise slow, deep breaths.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about oxygen after surgery
Is it normal to need oxygen after surgery?
Yes. Many people have extra oxygen after a major operation while the effects of anaesthesia and pain medicines wear off and they start moving. It is a routine part of recovery. The team reduces it as soon as your oxygen level stays steady without it.
My nose is dry and sore from the prongs. What helps?
Tell the nurse. Oxygen can be passed through water to add moisture, and a water-based gel can be used around the nostrils. Avoid petroleum jelly near oxygen unless the nurse says it is suitable. Sips of water and mouth care help a dry mouth.
Can I take the mask off to eat or talk?
Ask the nurse first. Many people can switch to nasal prongs for meals, or take the mask off briefly. If you need a lot of oxygen, the team may want it kept on. Put it back on straight away if you feel breathless.
Why does the oxygen level drop at night?
Breathing becomes shallower during sleep, and strong pain medicines can add to this. The team may keep a low flow on overnight for a little longer than during the day. Sleeping propped up on pillows often helps.
What medicine is in the nebuliser?
Often it is sterile salt water to loosen phlegm. Sometimes it is a medicine that opens the airways, such as salbutamol or ipratropium. Ask the nurse what yours contains. Do not start or stop a nebuliser medicine on your own.
Can I use a pulse oximeter at home to check myself?
You can, but the numbers only help if you know what level your team considers normal for you. Ask them before discharge. Always act on how you feel. Worsening breathlessness needs medical help whatever the clip shows.
Is it safe to travel home to my district?
If you have been discharged without oxygen, a car or bus journey is usually fine. Take breaks and walk a little on long trips. If you are going home with oxygen, ask the team how to carry it safely, and how to get more near where you live.
Is home oxygen covered by schemes or insurance?
Oxygen used in hospital is usually part of the surgical package. Cover for home oxygen machines varies by scheme and policy. Aarogyasri, CGHS, ECHS, EHS and cashless insurance are accepted at CION. Call the helpline and we will check your own cover.
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Sources
- NHS — Home oxygen treatment
- NHS — Pneumonia
- Cancer Research UK — Surgery for cancer
- American Cancer Society — Cancer 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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