The first 3-5 days after any operation, the patient necessarily has elevated, often subfebrile, temperature. This is a normal situation, which should not cause concern. But if the fever keeps for a long time or suddenly rises a few days after the operation, this, as usual, speaks about the development of the inflammatory process and requires urgent action.
Why does the temperature rise after the operation?
This is due to several factors. Any surgical intervention is a stress for the body, which is accompanied by a weakening of immunity. Also, the first two or three days after the operation, absorption of the decay products occurs, the occurrence of which is inevitable when tissue is cut. Another factor that causes a rise in temperature is the loss of body fluids during surgery and through the allocation of a wound secretion.
In many respects the situation depends on the complexity of the operation, the diagnosis, the degree of tissue damage. The more difficult it was to surgical intervention and more dissected tissues, the more likely a strong rise in temperature after it.
Why can the temperature keep after the operation?
If the temperature keeps or starts to rise in a few days after the operation, then it can happen for the following reasons:
- The patient is draining. In this case, a stably elevated temperature is a reaction of the immune system and usually comes to normal after the drainage tubes are removed. If necessary, the doctor may prescribe antibiotics or antipyretics.
- Development of sepsis and internal inflammation. In this case, a sharp increase in temperature is observed a few days after the operation, as the inflammatory process develops. Treatment is determined by the doctor and can consist of both taking antibiotics and re-operation, to clean the wound surface in case of suppuration.
- Acute respiratory, viral and other infections. After the operation, the person's immunity is usually weakened, and in the post-operative period it is easy enough to pick up any infection. In this case, the elevated temperature will be accompanied by other symptoms characteristic of such a disease.
Self-treatment with an increase in temperature in the postoperative period is unacceptable. And if the temperature rose sharply after discharge from the hospital, you should immediately contact your doctor.
How much is the fever after the operation?
As already mentioned above, in many ways the recovery of the body, like the increase in temperature, depends on the complexity of the operation:
- The least traumatic are laparoscopic manipulations. After them, most often the temperature either does not rise at all, or rises slightly, to subfebrile, and returns to normal on average for 3 days.
- Temperature after surgery to remove appendicitis. In this case, much depends on the type of appendicitis. Acute appendicitis is usually not accompanied by a rise in temperature before surgery, but after it the body temperature can rise to 38 ° at the beginning, and in the following days gradually decrease. Normally, body temperature comes on average in 3-5 days. Separately it is necessary to consider purulent, or as it also name, phlegmonous appendicitis . With this type of appendicitis, a strong increase in body temperature is observed before the operation, and a sufficiently long period can be maintained after it has been carried out. Since purulent appendicitis is often fraught with the development of peritonitis, then after the operation to remove it, almost always prescribe a course of antibiotics, and subfebrile
the temperature can persist for several weeks. - Temperature after operations on the intestine. When it comes to cavitary operations, they are usually quite complex and require a long recovery period. In the first week after the operation, there is almost always an elevated temperature, in the future the condition depends on the treatment and recovery of the body after the operation.
Attention! The temperature above 38 ° during the postoperative period is almost always a symptom of complications.