Most of the recovery from ovarian cancer surgery will be done outside of the hospital. If all goes well with surgery, a woman can expect to be discharged from the hospital in two to five days. Women are able to go home after they’re able to walk around and eat a little bit of food.
Doctors recommend that women don’t do any heavy lifting or difficult household chores in the weeks immediately following surgery. However, getting up and walking around and participating in low- to moderate-level activities is encouraged and can help with recovery. Most women will not be able to have sexual intercourse for 6 weeks after surgery.
Read More Unfortunately, many women do experience pain after ovarian cancer surgery — after all, it is a major procedure. However, there are many options doctors can give to help alleviate this pain. Depending on how severe the issue is, a woman may be prescribed different combinations of pain medications. That may mean a combination of Tylenol and NSAID (like ibuprofen), or a stronger medication like an opioid. These stronger pain medications are generally effective at dealing with extreme pain, however, they come with side effects that all women should be aware of. The drugs can also be very addicting, so doctors recommend that women stop using them as soon as they are able.
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