When to Seek Medical Care

• Call your surgeon or doctor if you have any of these symptoms:
  
  
  • Drainage from the incision
    
    
  • Redness at the incision
    
    
  • If stitches or staples come out
    
    
  • The bandage becomes soaked with blood
    
    
  • Fever over 100.4°F
    
    
  • Increasing pain or numbness in your legs, back, or buttocks
    
    
  • Inability to urinate
    
    
  • Loss of control of bladder or bowels, with loss of urine or stool, or both
    
    
  • Pain, swelling, or redness in one of your legs
    
    
  • A severe headache
    
    
  • If you have any other questions about the way you are recovering
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• Go to the hospital's emergency department immediately if you develop any of these conditions:
  
  
  • Sudden shortness of breath, which may or may not be accompanied by pain in the chest. This could be a sign of pulmonary embolism (blood clot in lungs), pneumonia, or other heart and lung problems.
    
    
  • If you lose control of your bowel or bladder, or if you are unable to urinate
    
    
  • If you are unable to move your legs (This is a serious sign of spinal cord or nerve compression.)