1. There will be unexpected complications.
2. Recovery will be (much) longer than doctors indicate.
3. The area of the surgery will very likely be forever numb and tingly. Occasionally, the area will be very itchy. Gently patting the incision in a circular motion might help.
4. Each hour under full anesthesia equates to at least one month of recovery.
5. Immediate and short-term side effects of anesthesia include fatigue, difficulty sleeping, dizziness, depression, moodiness, memory loss, and impaired ability to read, speak, and write. Your memory during the recovery time will also be very poor.
6. In the specific area of surgery and related areas and really the entire body you will lose a lot of strength and muscle.
7. During the days and weeks following, stomach problems are likely. Food and drink taste weird. You’ll be really hungry at times and not hungry at all other time.
8. For the time of recovery your memory will be really blurry.
9. Pain medicine doesn’t really work but just vastly, vastly amplifies side effects of anesthesia.
Dr. Andrew Joseph Pegoda 