Surgery, binder, elastic hose??

I am scheduled for surgery on the 8th of April.  I have never heard any of this being mentioned so I was wondering after surgery do they have a binder around you? How about surgical hose?  I am excited but really scared of complications. 

For me, they put on the surgical hose (went up past knees) prior to surgery, plus I had these inflatable things I was attached to after surgery that squeezed my legs. Not uncomfortable.

The binder was optional. I took it home. It was a LIFESAVER the past few weeks - yesterday was the first day I tried to go without it and it was a no go. IT really minimizes the pain for me.

I was given a binder (but I also had open surgery, not lap) but didn't use it much because it was too long and really hurt . I just braced my belly with a pillow when getting up and down.) I had the sequential compression device (SCD) on my legs (except while up walking) in the hospital, but no compression/surgical hose (and even with a strong previous history of blood clots -- my hospital record has a notation that I am ALWAYS to get the SCD if I am admitted for more than 24 hours OR if I have had surgery of any kind -- I had no problems).

Lora

I did not have a binder, however, I did have the hose. They went on right before surgery, and stayed on until AFTER I got my tubes out (as I couldn't shower before that). I had to stay in the hospital for 5 days (it's a German thing I think). They're to help with blood clots (I think the Germans were crazy, because they also gave me shots every night starting from the night before surgery for them as well).

I had neither.

 I didn't have either of them. I did have the inflatable things but only for the first day and a half or so because I moved my legs so much on my own. I was always changing positions. The morphine made me REALLY itchy and the leg pump thingers made the itching worse.

Since I have a history of pulmonary embolism, I have to wear surgical hose for TWO weeks, as well as take shots twice a day to prevent blood clots.  Tonight is my last shot and I cannot wait!  I'm not going to lie, I wore the hose for 2 days at home and took them off and have refused to put them back on.  I didn't get a binder, but got thise cute as can be moose that's called a cough moose.  It's shapped a certain way so you hold it to your tummy when you need to cough.

Thanks ladies for your quick responses.  I have my pre op visit with the doctor Thurs. so I will ask him then if he uses them.

No hose, but I did have the SCD (inflatable boots) on my lower legs and LOVED them.   My feet were really bugging me when I went into the hospital (tendonitis) but the SCD did wonders for them by massaging my calf & shin muscles and the tibial tendon.   In fact, when I developed full blown tendonitis in both feet, I tried to rent an SCD from the hospital and looked to buy one online.

I wore a binder in the hospital and for a few days at home, but it kept rolling up or shifting.  Then I switched to a Cass body shaper v-neck top.  I had two different ones and wore them 24/7 for the first few months, then just during the day.    

I received two binders at the hospital and was told to wear them for the first two months.  I ditched it after my first week and used my spanx tshirt to holding everything in.