A: After your surgery is finished, you will be brought to the ICU where you will recover from surgery. Since most operations last at least 4 hours, you will still be asleep when you arrive in the ICU. Over the next few hours, as you wake up from anesthesia, the breathing tube will usually be removed and you will breathe on your own. Generally, most patients spend approximately 24 hours recovering in the ICU after surgery.

Once you are stable enough to leave the ICU (usually after 24-48 hours), you will be transferred to the step-down unit, where you will continue your recovery until you are ready for discharge. Keep in mind that every surgery is different, and everyone recovers differently after surgery, so that your stay in the ICU or in the hospital may be longer or shorter, depending on your surgical procedure and your recovery.