Going home sooner — discharge criteria, follow-up, and the 30-day window

The four discharge criteria

1. 1

   Activities of daily living restored

   You can walk independently to the bathroom, dress, eat at a table, and manage your personal care. The pre-surgery functional status is the target.

2. 2

   Gut working

   You are eating solid food, tolerating it without nausea or vomiting, and having bowel movements (or passing gas in bowel surgery patients). The IV fluids are off.

3. 3

   Pain controlled on oral medication

   Your pain is managed by paracetamol + ibuprofen alone, or with a small backup dose of oral opioid as needed. No IV analgesia required. The medication regimen is written and explained.

4. 4

   No complications, no concerning trends

   Vital signs stable, wound healing as expected, no fever, no abnormal lab trends. The discharge decision is made jointly by surgeon and nursing team after morning rounds.

The direct phone line to the team

Patients leaving an ERAS hospital have access to a quick-consultation line directly to the ward team that cared for them. This bypasses the emergency department, which is the wrong default for a post-operative concern. The team that knows your case can answer in minutes.

The number for our practice is 01500509000 on WhatsApp, available for post-discharge concerns alongside new appointments.

What signs warrant a phone call

Most post-op recovery is uneventful. Some patterns require us to know quickly. Call any of these:

• Fever above 38.5°C (101.3°F) — early infection signal.
• Increasing wound redness, warmth, or discharge — wound infection.
• Worsening abdominal pain — anastomotic leak in bowel surgery, hematoma, or other complication.
• Persistent vomiting — ileus or bowel obstruction.
• Calf pain or swelling — deep vein thrombosis.
• Shortness of breath, chest pain — pulmonary embolism (rare but emergent).
• Bleeding from the wound or in the stool — depending on surgery type.

These do not mean disaster. They mean we need to assess. Most are easily managed if caught early.

Smartphone monitoring — when it helps

For patients who prefer this approach and have a smartphone, we use simple tools: a daily checklist, photo of the wound, pain rating, food intake, walking distance. The team reviews these and reaches out if something looks off.

The 30-day follow-up visit

The structured 30-day visit confirms return to normality and audits the recovery. Topics covered:

• Wound check, removal of any external sutures or staples if not done before discharge.
• Pain status, medication taper, return to NSAID-free routine if appropriate.
• Return to physical activity, exercise, work, driving, sexual activity. Each is individualised.
• Cancer patients: pathology results, adjuvant treatment plan if indicated, oncology referral.
• Bariatric patients: weight, nutritional status, lab review, vitamin supplementation, dietary milestone.
• Any complications that arose and were managed outside the hospital.

Frequently asked questions