@annie1 Annie, After surgery, your surgeon will give you postoperative instructions with restrictions like no lifting more than 10 pounds or twisting, bending, etc. It takes about 6 weeks for the incision to heal completely. I’m sure you will have a number to call for questions and there will another doctor overseeing patients in recovery. I talked to a neurosurgeon resident who was on call after my spine surgery.
Jennifer

Annie, I started my physical therapy within about a week after surgery. I had my surgeries at Mayo in Rochester so I saw my family doctor for post op visits and had a phone call with my surgeon about 6 weeks after surgery. I had an in-person visit about a year later with the surgeon. You can do your requested x-rays and/or MRI's if needed at your local hospital. My first post-op with my family doctor was about a month after surgery. If your surgery is done at Mayo, they will provide you with a phone number you can call to reach your surgeon's assistant to ask questions or report complications after your surgery. I traveled home the day I was released from the hospital. We stopped about every 1 1/2 to 2 hours on the way home so I could walk with my walker. My orders after the surgery said walking is adequate exercise. You need to have some form of strengthening exercise to complete your recovery process. If you choose not to exercise, less blood flow to the surgical site can prolong your healing process. My physical therapy focused on exercise to increase the core strength in my spine and lower body. I didn't start anything more strenuous until about a month after surgery. I started walking immediately, increasing my distance slightly each day. You will tire easily in the early days after your surgery. I would lay on my bed and listen to relaxing music or nature sounds and take a nap. Patients who listen to music before and after surgery show reduced pain scores, anxiety and need for pain relievers. I found it extremely relaxing, I slept well and I was off pain relievers within about 6-10 days.