The scope of postoperative care includes the patient’s own preoperative preparation, intraoperative operations performed for postoperative care, observation room care, in-hospital care, and home care (early, mid-term, and late). (i) Postoperative care After returning to the ward, patients can get out of bed early if they do not have symptoms such as nausea and vomiting. Patients with systemic systemic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type I diabetes, underlying deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary disease should have their postoperative medication status controlled. Once patients are fully awakened from anesthesia, most can begin a reasonable diet on the day of surgery. The amount of postoperative painkillers is minimal. Most patients require an injection of painkillers in the observation room; most require only a minimal dose of oral painkillers thereafter. If the patient is unable to pass urine, he or she can be encouraged to go to the bathroom without a catheter if possible. If still unable to pass urine, medications such as tranylcypromine_ may be used. If none of these methods work and the patient still cannot urinate and has a full bladder, it is necessary to catheterize. Yang Cao, Department of Orthopedics, Wuhan Union Hospital It is not necessary to routinely perform DVT prophylaxis, but patients are encouraged to get out of bed early. However, if the patient has risk factors for DVT formation, such as smokers or those with chronic lung disease, prophylactic measures should be performed. (ii) Discharge instructions First, patients are given routine instructions. They are encouraged to continue their work with a waist brace. The waist brace serves as a reminder to patients that they have had spinal surgery and need to limit some of their activities. Most patients find that a waist brace helps them walk. If some patients cannot tolerate the waist brace, they are not forced to wear it. All patients have their waist brace removed 6 to 8 weeks after surgery. Patients can walk outdoors or around the house of their own choice, and there are no restrictions on going up or down stairs. In addition to walking, patients should rest in a reclined or semi-recumbent position, such as on a couch or bed, or even on the floor, or in a recliner. Patients should not sit in a regular chair whenever possible. The following recommendations should also be followed: ① Sitting or eating in a chair with a hard, straight back and armrests; ② Washing should be done sitting down; ③ Do not sit on a soft chair like a sofa; ④ Do not sit in a small car initially and not much later; ⑤ Patients should avoid bending or lifting heavy objects for 6 weeks after surgery. (iii) Postoperative rehabilitation Stretching exercises Early postoperative activities of straight leg raising (surgical side) are beneficial for the nerve roots on the surgical side. Although there is no scientific evidence to support this approach, it seems to be justified. Patients begin stretching exercises from the day they leave the hospital and continue to practice them daily until the first follow-up appointment (6 weeks postoperatively). Sleep Patients can sleep in any position on any mat that feels comfortable. Work Patients should refrain from light work for 6 weeks after surgery, as this can have an impact on the outcome of the surgical procedure. Recreational activities All patients should not participate in physical activities, sports or even walking for the first 6 weeks after surgery. Sexuality Patients can have sex after discharge if they can limit the stress on their bodies. Daily Activity Recommendations For the first 6 weeks after surgery, patients should reduce any activities that can cause low back pain or can cause leg pain. Gastrointestinal function Some patients may become constipated due to the use of postoperative pain relievers and require stool softeners. (iv) Possible early symptoms Usually the leg pain disappears immediately after surgery in most patients with herniated discs, but in a few patients the leg pain may still persist for some time, but do not make the patient nervous. Numbness It often takes several weeks for the numbness to disappear. Weakness Weakness can take longer to recover, such as (1) excessive foot drop caused by the lumbar 5 nerve root; and (2) weakness in going up stairs caused by the sacral 1 nerve root. Twitching h Twitching h in the calf is a common symptom and also gets better gradually, but does not disappear completely. Pain Pain in the buttocks, thighs and calves is a sign of recurrence. Once it appears, activities should be strictly limited. If the pain reaches preoperative levels, the patient should return to the hospital for further examination as soon as possible. Back symptoms Patients usually notice progressively more back pain with back muscle tension for up to 6 weeks after surgery. During this time, exercises that may mildly aggravate symptoms may be allowed, but exercises that may moderately increase back pain are discouraged. (v) Mid-term rehabilitation (6 weeks to 3 months) During this phase, it is more difficult to restrict activities. Usually the patient is no longer using a back brace and has increased activity levels and resumed light work. Activity level Six weeks is the cut-off point for recovery after various surgical procedures. Activity levels can be increased after six weeks of lumbar surgery with a planned return to appropriate active aerobic exercise such as competitive walking, bicycling, swimming, or water aerobics, but gymnastics is not advocated. More athletic activities, such as bowling and golf, should not be performed until after three months postoperatively. To perform heavy labor and work such as bending, lifting heavy objects, climbing up and down, etc., should not be performed until three months after surgery. And usually after a 6-week pre-work training program. (vi) Long-term rehabilitation It is difficult to describe the requirements for the intensity of long-term work and recreational activities in patients with simple disc herniation after surgery. It depends on the patient’s requirements, lifestyle, nature of work, and financial situation. We are not in a position to make any recommendations other than general guidance. Work The younger the patient, the greater the workload, and the more consideration the physician should give to how the patient can reduce the intensity of work. It should be a routine requirement that patients undergoing back surgery should find a job after surgery that is less labor intensive than the one they had before surgery. Recreational activities If a sport caused the initial injury, there is reason to avoid that sport postoperatively. A high incidence of this condition is in college or high school weightlifters, gymnasts, distance runners, or riders. The heavier the recreational sport is in the patient’s lifestyle, the more difficult it is to get the patient to change their exercise habits. The more injury-causing the sport in which the patient was involved before the injury, the more the physician should tell the patient to avoid that sport.