Nobody looks forward to surgery. Who, after all, wants to go under the knife?

But there is
more to be concerned about than being cut open. All surgical procedures come with a risk of
complications. They range from energy-sapping fatigue to potentially fatal blood clots. Here
are eight of the most common.
1. Pain
Pain is less a complication than a simple fact of life following surgery. The question, then, is,
how much pain will there be?
Pain often depends on the degree of invasiveness, says Matthew Kroh, MD, a surgeon at
the Cleveland Clinic who specializes in laparoscopic and robotic surgery. With the types of
surgery Kroh performs, many of which are minimally invasive, post-op pain is much lower
than it was before such procedures were developed. Recovery from pain is so much faster
now, he says. Still, he wants his patients to know that when they wake up, its going to hurt.
Im very open with my patients, he says. I try to oversell the pain. That way, they are
pleasantly surprised when it doesnt hurt as much as they thought it would. Eighty percent of
my patients do better than I tell them they will.
2. Partially Collapsed Lung (Atelectasis)
A very common complication after surgery, it occurs when a patient is not able to breathe in
enough air to fill the lungs. Post-op pain is one of the primary culprits, Kroh says. It hurts to
breathe.
The result? Mucus, normally cleared by breathing and coughing, builds up in the lungs, and
that can cause pneumonia, especially in older patients, Kroh says.
Warning signs include shortness of breath and faster heart beat.
After some surgical procedures, you may be given an incentive spirometer, which is a device
that gauges your inhalations and can help you achieve a goal of taking several deep breaths
multiple times a day.
3. Blood Clots
Clots most often occur following orthopedic procedures, but they can occur in any patient,
Kroh says. Smokers, morbidly obese people, and immobile patients are most at risk for clots,
which usually form in the legs.
However, those clots can migrate to the lungs, where they can cause a potentially fatal
pulmonary embolism.
Warning signs include swelling in the affected leg and calf pain. Shortness of breath and
chest pain may be signs that the clot has moved to the lungs.
4. Fatigue and Lack of Energy
This is something that patients often underestimate, Kroh says. Some patients expect that
they can be discharged and get right back to work. But general anesthesia causes fatigue
that can last for some time, and energy levels will also take time to get back to normal.
Kroh tells his patients that they likely wont be able to work a full day for at least a week
following surgery. Its 2 to 3 days before they are even feeling 70%.
5. Muscle Atrophy
Too much bed rest combined with too littleexercise can weaken your muscles. Thats why
surgeons like Kroh encourage patients to get out of bed and onto their feet as soon as
possible after surgery.
Its very important to get up and move around, Kroh says. That doesnt mean go to the
gym, though, even if you feel up to it (you probably wont).
You have to avoid lifting and straining to allow yourself to heal, Kroh says.
People who have had abdominal surgery need to be extra cautious. Kroh advises against
lifting anything over 15 pounds for at least two weeks after laparoscopic surgery, and six
weeks after more invasive procedures.
Your surgeon might recommend working with a physical therapist to ease you back into
everyday activities.
6. Anesthesia Effects
It may keep you from feeling pain during a procedure, but anesthesia comes with its own set
of unpleasant risk factors. Most people do just fine, but some patients, particularly older
patients, may wake up feeling quite confused.
More common side effects are nausea, sore throat, and sleepiness.
Anesthesia stays in your system for about 24 hours, so plan to avoid driving, making
important decisions, and drinking alcohol.
Kroh says that a common concern -- and misperception -- is the possibility of waking up
during a procedure. Terrifying though it may sound, it is quite rare, and, Kroh says,
Everything is done to ensure that patients have no memory of the operation.
7. Confusion/Delirium
Most patients wake up after surgery feeling a little fuzzy, but they quickly regain their clarity
as the anesthesia wears off.
However, some patients experience a much more serious state of confusion, or delirium.
This is especially common in older patients in the first week after surgery, though it may
persist for weeks or even months.
8. Infection
Out of the approximately 27 million operations performed in the U.S. each year, only about
1% result in an infection, according to the CDC.
Most of those infections are minor, affecting only the skin around the surgical incision.
However, serious infections can occur, and they cause approximately 8,000 deaths per year.
Particularly tough to treat are infections caused by MRSA (methicillin-
resistantStaphylococcus aureus), a bacteria that resists some antibiotics. In hospitals,
people who have undergone surgery are the most vulnerable to such infections.
The good news is that hospitals are reporting fewer MRSA infections these days. Your best
protection against infection is to make sure everything you come into contact with is clean. If
that means reminding your doctor to wash his hands or the equipment he uses, dont
hesitate to do so.
Complications following surgery are often spotted before leaving the hospital. However,
some complications, such as blood clots, can develop after the patient has been discharged.
Kroh tells his patients to have a low threshold for concerns when deciding to pick up the
phone and call him.
"If theres anything you think might be abnormal or which concerns you, contact your
surgeon," Kroh says. "Ninety-five percent of my patients concerns can be handled over the
phone, but Im happy to deal with a whole slew of minor problems if it means Im able to
catch a major problem."