Great summary, Lou, I can't think of a thing to add.
Except maybe one. It's a rare situation that doesn't affect most people, but it did me and a few other people I know. I developed something called "crepitus" or "sub-cutaneous emphysema" right after surgery. Has nothing to do with what most people think of as emphysema. This is a small leak of air that gets into the tissues under your skin (sub-cutaneous). It made me feel at first like my glands in my neck were swollen and then it spread to my whole chest and up my face. I looked like a chipmunk with the mumps!
Sometimes this resolves on its own but if it progresses, it becomes VERY uncomfortable--if you look it up online you can see some people have even their eyes swollen shut! So you do NOT want to let it get to that point.
I had to go back in the hospital for a few days with a chest tube to slowly deflate, and then I was fine.
As I said, it's pretty rare but it does happen, and if it does, it's something to report to your doctor. Not generally life-threatening, but a complication you want to address ASAP.
