While you are recovering after surgery, your health care team will check your progress and help you with the following:
 | Pain controlYou will have some pain and discomfort for several days after surgery. You will be given pain medicines to manage this. If you are in pain when you return home, talk to your doctors about a prescription for pain medicine. |
 | Surgical drainYou may have a thin tube placed in the abdomen to drain fluid into a small bag or bottle. The fluid can then be checked for potential problems. The tube is usually removed after a few days but may be left in for longer. Surgical drains are never permanent. |
 | Drips and tubesWhile in hospital, you will have a drip to replace your body’s fluids. At first, you may not be able to eat or drink (nil by mouth). You’ll then be on a liquid diet before slowly returning to normal food. A temporary feeding tube may be put into the small bowel during the operation. This tube provides extra nutrition until you can eat and drink normally again. The hospital dietitian can help you manage changes to eating. |
 | Enzyme supplementsMany people will need to take tablets known as pancreatic enzymes after surgery. These are taken with each meal to help digest fat and protein. |
 | Insulin therapyBecause the pancreas produces insulin, people who have had all or some of their pancreas removed may develop diabetes after surgery and need regular insulin injections (up to 4 times per day). A specialist doctor called an endocrinologist will help you develop a plan for managing diabetes. Learn some tips for coping with diabetes. |
 | Moving aroundYour health care team will probably encourage you to walk the day after surgery. They will also provide advice about when you can get back to your usual activity levels. |
 | Length of hospital stayMost people go home within 2 weeks, but if there are problems, you may need to stay in hospital longer. You may need rehabilitation, which is a program to help you recover and regain physical strength, and adapt to changes, after surgery. This may be as an inpatient in a rehabilitation centre or through a home-based rehabilitation program. |
For more on this, see our general section on Surgery.
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Prof Lorraine Chantrill, Honorary Clinical Professor, University of Wollongong, and Head of Department, Medical Oncology, Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, NSW; Karen Baker, Consumer; Michelle Denham, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council WA; Prof Anthony J Gill, Surgical Pathologist, Royal North Shore Hospital and The University of Sydney, NSW; A/Prof Koroush Haghighi, Liver, Pancreas and Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeon, Prince of Wales and St Vincent’s Hospitals, NSW; Dr Meredith Johnston, Radiation Oncologist, Liverpool and Campbelltown Hospitals, NSW; Dr Brett Knowles, Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary and General Surgeon, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, and St Vincent’s Hospital, VIC; Rachael Mackie, Upper GI – Clinical Nurse Consultant, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, VIC; Prof Jennifer Philip, Chair of Palliative Care, University of Melbourne, and Palliative Medicine Physician, St Vincent’s Hospital, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Royal Melbourne Hospital, VIC; Lucy Pollerd, Social Worker, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, VIC; Rose Rocca, Senior Clinical Dietitian – Upper GI, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, VIC; Stefanie Simnadis, Clinical Dietitian, St John of God Subiaco Hospital, WA.
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