Stem Cell Post-Operative Instructions

Patients should be seen promptly by a physician for full evaluation should any of the following symptoms occur.

Contact us (see below) or your primary doctor’s office immediately if you experience any of these symptoms:

• Temperature above 101°F,
• Shakes and chills,
• Severe unrelieved pain,
• Sudden onset of significant swelling or redness from extraction sites,
• Dizziness,
• Changes in heart rate,
• Severe pain,
• difficulty breathing or fever.

Please arrange for a friend or family member to take you to the office and drive you home after surgery. Depending on your condition and delivery method needed you may not be allowed to leave the facility alone after surgery in a cab or private taxi.

• If you experience pain, please take only Tylenol. Do not take Aspirin, Ibuprofen or Aspirin-containing products.
• No other medication should be taken for 2 weeks after surgery, unless directed or cleared by your doctor. This includes all the medications, vitamins, supplements, and herbals as directed in the Stem Cell Pre-Operative Checklist.

• Some drainage from the small incisions is normal during the first 24 to 36 hours following the extraction. Slightly blood-tinged fluid is residual anesthetic solution. Most drainage occurs in the first 48 hours (about 2 days).
• Beginning the day after treatment, shower as normal using soap and water.
• Some patients experience itchiness around the stem cell extraction sites. It is normal for the incision site to itch during the healing process. If itching is extreme, take over the counter Benadryl pills or another oral antihistamine.
• Remember that there may be swelling for 6 weeks and up to 4 months.

• Do not shower for the first 24 hours after the procedure. Do not remove the dressings, they will fall on their own in approximately 1 week.
• When showering, you may briefly get the incision sites wet. Afterward, gently pat them dry.
• After surgery, your surgical sites will tend to be hypersensitive to sunlight, causing an increasing tendency to burn. Use sunblock with a minimum of 15 SPF to protect the surgical sites.
• Do not submerge yourself in any water (i.e., taking a bath or swimming) for the 1st week. Do not immerse yourself in a bath, Jacuzzi, swimming pool, or the ocean until the incisions have healed completely.

• After treatment, drink generous amounts of diluted juices or water to prevent dehydration. Drink plenty of clear fluids.
• Meals are not restricted. Light foods are recommended for the first meal after surgery. You may resume your usual diet in about 4 hours.
• Be aware that drinking alcohol can jeopardize the results of stem cell treatment. It is highly recommended to not drink any alcohol for at least the first 14 days.
• Be aware that smoking or the use of unauthorized medications can lead to complications and jeopardize the results of your surgery. It is highly recommended to not smoke for at least the first year after your procedure.

• About exercising after your procedure, please only do light walking and stretching for the first 3 days.
• Avoid lifting heavy objects for the first week. After the first week, you can resume activity, but the degree of resumption will depend on body area treated.

• Remember that there may be some swelling for 6 weeks and up to 4 months.
• Please call the office at once if you experience the following:
  • Temperature above 101°F
  • Shakes and chills.
  • Severe unresolved pain
  • Significant redness at grafting sites

In case of an emergency, please call 911 and go to the nearest emergency department to be assessed. If the event is not an emergency, but you would like to speak with an MDLifespan physician, they can be contacted at 773.640.1400 between hours of 7 AM and 9 PM EST.