The Benefits of Staying in a Recovery House Post Surgery
Updated: Mar 9, 2021
Deciding where to have your cosmetic surgery, which clinic to go to and which surgeon to use is a huge decision. It usually involves a period of gathering information, in-depth research and seeking out helpful advice from those that have already been through something similar. When it comes to enhancing your body, it’s not a decision that should be taken lightly. Despite the cautious consideration taken over surgery, we find that deciding on a location to recover post-surgery becomes something of an afterthought.
According to the NHS, research has shown that the sooner a person is walking, eating, and drinking following their surgery, the shorter their recovery time will be. To enhance your recovery in those critical few days and weeks, it's essential to be in an environment that allows your mind and body to relax, rehabilitate and recuperate.
Most people underestimate how they are going to feel after they have had surgery, especially after cosmetic surgery. Since cosmetic surgery is elective surgery, there is a mindset that it is not as serious as a medically required operation, but this is not the case. The truth is that all types of surgery, and most definitely cosmetic surgery can be both physically and emotionally draining. It’s for this very reason, that Townhouse Retreats exists.
There are huge benefits of staying in a recovery house post-surgery, some of which you might not yet have considered. If you are unsure of what to do or where to stay following your body enhancement procedure, we hope that the following advice will help.
This information has been gathered from first-hand experience of assisting those recovering from surgery as well as unadulterated feedback from real-life patients themselves.
The Physical Benefits of Staying in a Recovery House
Each surgery is unique and is accompanied by its own recovery needs. A good recovery house will have experience in a range of surgeries and understand what the recovery journey looks like.
Some surgeries will allow you to be more mobile than others. In the case of Facial surgery, for example, mobility is not such an issue, but sleeping and eating can be problematic. There will be swelling and discomfort in the face and you will need sleep propped up. Finding the right foods that work for you while your face is swollen, providing beds supports or extra pillows due to the awkward sleeping position and having your bruising, swelling and bandages monitored is a massive relief during those first days of recovery. Our specialist post-op nurse is on hand to ensure that your physical needs are taken care of and that you have the assistance and reassurance that you require.
In the case of other surgeries such as BBL, tummy tucks, liposuction or gender reassignment, immobility is much more of an issue. In these cases, your body is going through a trauma, and simple daily tasks that you wouldn’t normally think twice about, suddenly become very difficult. Staying in a recovery house rather than a hotel or apartment means you have the right people on hand to help with your physical needs.
This is important to help you get in and out of bed, to get you to the bathroom, to help with compression garments as even getting dressed can be quite a task. Furthermore, a nurse can assist with drains, changing dressings and advise on pain relief medication when necessary. When you have concerns about oozing, bleeding or how your recovery is progressing, it’s reassuring to know you have access to a professional nurse that is a caretaker of your physical wellbeing.
Sadly, this isn’t something that is readily available in a hotel or apartment, which is why there are significant physical benefits of staying in a recovery house.
The Emotional Benefits of Staying in a Recovery House
Aside from your physical recovery, but of equal importance is your emotional well-being during recovery. When sat alone in a hotel room or apartment, it’s very easy for your mind to wander and create all sorts of scenarios and anxieties. Coupled with being away from the comforts of home, your family and support network, it can be quite an emotional journey. We believe that no one should go through this alone.
The other side of this is feeling very concerned about what is normal post-surgery. You have nothing to compare it to when sitting alone in a hotel. You might ask yourself, should you look like this? Should you feel like this? Is this normal? With only yourself to ask, it’s easy for you to become quite anxious and stressed.
You also might feel embarrassed about your appearance and not want to be around strangers when you aren’t looking or feeling your best. Whilst you have no reason to feel ashamed when staying in a hotel or apartment, the last thing you want to do is sit among business diners or holidaymakers in a restaurant when you are feeling particularly bad. Neither do you want to be out in public searching for supermarkets in an unfamiliar area, feeling like people are looking at you.
Another issue can be how often you need to come face to face with housekeeping or room service in a hotel during this fragile time. Do you really want people coming in and out of your room with food deliveries or housekeeping disturbing you when you don’t feel great? You might also feel uncomfortable calling housekeeping repeatedly when your sheets need changing due to oozing and bleeding. Having to consider changing your own bed and washing sheets, if you are in an apartment can seem like an impossible task when you are tired and sore from your surgery. This is a perfectly normal part of your recovery process, but it needs to be managed in the right environment.
The good news is that in a recovery house, most of your concerns and worries can be quickly eased. There are people on hand that understand what you are going through and provide huge reassurance during this time. You are in a safe, private and secure environment. The only people you will see in a recovery house are the people that work there, who are dedicated to your well-being and other guests that are going through the same experiences as yourself.
Whilst guests obviously miss their family and children, they are most often relieved that they did not join them on their surgery journey. Instinctively you feel like you need them there with you, but more often than not it is an extra weight to carry on top of what’s going on with the surgery recovery itself. This period of recovery is time to be a little bit selfish. It’s a time that you rarely get where you can focus on you, rest, recuperate and pamper yourself.
This enhances your recovery and makes you better equipped to return home and face your normal responsibilities. We pressurise ourselves to get up and get back to normal life, once we enter our homes and it’s important to keep yourself free of these worries while rehabilitating. Whilst we can arrange independent accommodation for those wanting their partner or children to be here with them, it’s important to have your recovery supported in a professional environment.
There is a huge level of emotional support that comes with staying in a recovery house. Our guests enjoy sharing their experiences and stories, providing encouragement, reassurance, hints and tips with each other. Guests spend a lot of time chatting about their lives back at home, relationships, their children as well as how they are feeling emotionally about their operation. It’s not always about the surgery. Incredible friendships and beautiful bonds are formed in our recovery house through sharing this unique journey, these friendship have continued long after they have recovered from their surgery. It’s wonderful to see people supporting each other and a very rewarding part of the experience we offer.
The Practical Benefits of Staying in a Recovery House
Townhouse Retreats is designed to cater for all your practical needs post-surgery so that all you need to do is concentrate on yourself. As we have already mentioned, many surgeries can result in some physical challenges which we have carefully considered to offer as many practical solutions as possible.
There will be times that you just won’t want to get out of bed all day. Knowing that someone can take care of the cooking, cleaning, helping to shower, wash your clothes and bedding is a huge relief. It’s hard to imagine how difficult this all is in an apartment or hotel.
We do our best to work around your time clock. If you need to lie in bed, you can. You are not under any pressure to get up to have your room cleaned. We try to time it so that if you have a clinic appointment, or nurse visiting we will get in and get your room sorted so you can go straight back to bed without any disruption.
There may be certain supplies that you need from a shop or pharmacy during your recovery. We endeavour to get you what you need when you need it, without you having to think about how, when or where.
We are fully equipped with essential post-surgery facilities so that guests have access to all the accessories to make the journey as easy as possible. We provide anti-bacterial shower gels, frames for support, she-wees, grabbers, wedges, supports and pads for beds. In a hotel or apartment, none of these things are to hand. These are items that people don’t consider or can’t imagine needing, so certainly wouldn’t have brought with them when travelling for surgery.
Transport is another key practical benefit of staying in our recovery house. Public transport and driving are out of the question after many surgeries. You might not want to face a different taxi driver every time you need to get somewhere. We provide a discreet, friendly transport service that is familiar with our guests and their needs and can safely and comfortably get you to and from airports, clinic appointments or shops as and when you require.
TV, Internet, Entertainment? It may not have crossed your mind when going into surgery, but what are you going to do with all those hours while you are resting and recovering? To keep in touch with friends and family back home through to catching the latest international TV and Netflix releases, we have you covered. It may seem like a simple thing, but they are rarely available or reliable in a hotel or apartment environment and you’ll be most grateful for the distraction.
Now for one of these most important practical matters. Food. We cannot emphasise enough the importance of eating and maintaining a good level of nutrition during your recovery. Reports from patients recovering from surgery often highlight their difficulty with meal preparation, shopping and eating well. When you are committed to 7-14 days in a hotel or apartment relying on a limited room service or takeaway menu, it really can take its toll.
A recovery house caters for the changing dietary needs of guests who are feeling under the weather. Some people have specific dietary requirements. Others just cannot stomach certain types of food. Everyone needs a healthy balanced diet during their recovery, as it really does help you bounce back. Getting out of bed and preparing food for yourself in those early few days can be a real challenge. In addition to 3 meals a day, Townhouse Retreats provides bottled water, tea, coffee, orange juice and fresh fruit. We listen to how you feel and what you think you can manage and tailor accordingly. This is one essential practicality that you really cannot manage without during post-surgery recovery and one of the main practical benefits of staying in a recovery house.
At a recovery house, we have experts on hand and a full platform of services that are designed to assist with every part of your post-surgery recovery. Our team have a wealth of experience in helping post-surgery clients and their specific needs according to their surgery.
Laundry and shopping services.
Private nurse services for out-patient care.
Beauty and hair treatments available in-house
Specialist post-surgery lymphatic massage in-house
Holistic treatments including Reflexology to aid healing in the comfort of your own room
Overnight care
Concierge service
Onsite 24-hour emergency assistance.
The Cost vs Wellbeing Benefit of Staying in a Recovery House
Sometimes people question the cost of staying in a recovery house, over getting a cheap hotel or apartment. Research has shown that your post-surgery recovery is as important as the surgery or clinic you choose in terms of results, well-being and speed of recovery. A post-surgery recovery house is much more than just a bed to sleep in. We cannot express enough the importance of investing in your well-being during this critical time in your surgery journey.
It may seem that the upfront cost is far greater than the cost of a hotel or apartment but it’s important to factor in all those additional daily costs that are likely to be incurred in those environments. The price of takeaways and room service very quickly mount up. Those extras for WiFi, extra sheets, towels and end of stay clean have their cost. A taxi to simply get a coffee or a bite to eat doesn’t come cheap. This is all aside from the physical and emotional benefits that come with staying at a recovery house. Coming to a recovery house gives you the time and space in secure, discreet surroundings with an expert team on hand, to recover properly before going home.
The cost of your recovery house accommodation will only amount to a fraction of the surgery itself, but what it returns in terms of wellness benefits, is priceless.