What you need to know • The length of the recovery period depends upon the procedure that has been performed, and may be as short as 1-2 weeks • Patients should refrain from driving until they are comfortably able to look in their blind spot and perform an emergency stop • Worsening post-operative pain suggests a potential abdominal complication, and the patient requires urgent assessment • Although most wound infections after laparoscopic surgery are superficial, some can involve the deeper tissues and should be reassessed in hospital, particularly if prosthetic material has been inserted (e.g. mesh)