Most pre-op shopping lists are aspirational. Real surgeons, physical therapists, and orthopedic specialists recommend a much shorter, much more boring set of items. Here is what to put on your house this week — drawn from published guidance from AAOS, ACS, Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, and MSK — so you do not arrive home from the OR and realize you have nothing useful to wear, nothing safe to walk on, and no way to reach the floor.
The 9 items real post-surgical patients use most across hip, knee, shoulder, and abdominal recovery: (1) two front-closing recovery shirts; (2) two pairs of soft pull-on pants without hard waistbands; (3) a wedge pillow for sleep; (4) slip-on shoes or non-slip grippy socks; (5) a grabber/reacher tool; (6) an ice pack or cold therapy unit; (7) a small seatbelt-friendly recovery pillow; (8) a shower chair plus handheld shower head plus long-handled sponge; (9) soft snacks and electrolyte drinks for the first 72 hours. Below: why each item earns its place, what changes by procedure (hip vs knee vs shoulder vs abdominal), and four things people put on their lists that they should not.
Why most pre-op shopping lists are wrong
Most pre-op shopping lists tend toward beautiful kits — matching pajamas, scented candles, herbal teas, gift baskets. Surgeons and physical therapists tend toward boring tools — a grabber, a sock aid, a raised toilet seat. The boring list is the one that matters in the first 14 days. The beautiful list collects dust on the dresser.
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Joint Replacement preparation guide spells this out for hip and knee specifically; the American Cancer Society’s recovery guide covers the same principles for soft-tissue surgeries; Mayo Clinic’s hip and knee replacement pages carry a similar list. The overlap across these three is what we used to build the 9-item core list below.
The 9 items that earn their place
1. Two front-closing recovery shirts
Anything that goes over your head is unwearable for 4-6 weeks after most upper-body or chest surgeries; even after lower-body surgery, raising your arms while still under anesthesia recovery is uncomfortable. A shirt that opens completely from the front — buttons, snaps, or zip — is what you live in. Two so one is always clean. Hidden snaps work better than buttons because you can dress one-handed. Front-closing post-surgery shirts exist as a category for this reason.
2. Two pairs of soft pull-on pants without hard waistbands
Anything with a fly, button, hook, or tight elastic at the waist sits directly on incision lines or swelling. Soft cotton joggers, recovery pants with adjustable drawstrings, or tearaway pants with snap closures work. Buy two so one is always clean. Recovery bottoms are designed for this; ordinary soft sweatpants work for most procedures.
3. A wedge pillow for sleep elevation
For 7-10 days after most major surgeries, you will sleep slightly upright, not flat. A wedge pillow with a flat top, 30-45 degrees, beats stacking three regular pillows every time. Mayo Clinic specifically recommends elevation for chest surgeries; AAOS recommends it for shoulder. The pillow is also useful afterward — most people keep it in rotation for at least a month.
4. Slip-on shoes or non-slip grippy socks
Bending over to put on regular shoes is restricted after hip, knee, abdominal, and back surgery — sometimes for weeks. Slip-on shoes (without laces) or grippy hospital socks let you stand up safely. AAOS specifically calls this out as a fall-prevention item. Avoid loose slippers — they slide off and are a tripping hazard. Crocs, slip-on sneakers, or grippy socks (the kind hospitals send you home in) are the right choice.
5. A grabber / reacher tool
A long stick with a claw at the end. After hip replacement, knee surgery, abdominal surgery, or any procedure that limits bending, this is the difference between asking your partner to retrieve a sock from the floor and just doing it yourself. AAOS lists this as one of the four most useful pre-op buys. Costs $15-25. Available at any hardware store or pharmacy. Buy a 32-inch length minimum.
6. An ice pack or cold therapy unit
Cold reduces post-surgical swelling and pain. AAOS, Mayo Clinic, and most orthopedic surgeons recommend cold application for the first 72 hours specifically; some surgeons prescribe a continuous cold-therapy unit (Game Ready, PolarCare) for joint replacements. For most procedures, two reusable gel packs that fit in your freezer plus a thin towel barrier is enough. Apply 15-20 minutes per session, max 6 times per day per site.
7. A small recovery pillow
Sized to fit between your chest and the seatbelt for the drive home. Also useful for splinting your abdomen when you cough after abdominal surgery (a key recovery technique recommended by ACS), propping your arm during chemo or PT, and sleeping on your side when a regular pillow is too big. Mastectomy pillows are designed for this; small throw pillows work in a pinch.
8. A shower chair + handheld shower head + long-handled sponge
Standing for a full shower is exhausting after most surgeries; bending to wash your feet is impossible. A shower chair (or even a sturdy plastic outdoor chair) plus a handheld shower head lets you sit and wash. A long-handled sponge reaches what you can’t bend to. AAOS recommends this trio as standard for joint replacement; surgeons recommend it for abdominal and back surgeries too. Total cost: $30-60.
9. Soft snacks and electrolyte drinks
Anesthesia and post-op pain medication blunt appetite, slow digestion, and can cause nausea. Plan for soft, bland, easy foods: crackers, broth, yogurt, applesauce, smoothies, ginger candies for nausea, an electrolyte drink (Pedialyte, Liquid IV) for hydration. ACS’s eating-problems guide covers this in detail. Stock for 5 days; appetite usually returns by day 3-4.
— American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS)
What changes by procedure
The 9-item core list applies to nearly every surgery. Each procedure adds a few specific items.
Hip replacement
Add: a walker (covered by most insurance — ask your surgeon), a raised toilet seat, a long-handled shoehorn, a sock aid (the plastic-and-rope tool for putting on socks). AAOS hip-replacement preparation.
Knee replacement / surgery
Add: a walker or crutches (your surgeon will specify), an ice machine if your surgeon prescribes one, a leg-lift strap, and a couple of pillows for elevation while sitting. Mayo Clinic knee replacement.
Shoulder surgery
Add: button-front shirts that you can put on one-handed, a sling-friendly cushion, a small bedside table for your dominant-hand items. Pulling shirts over your head is off-limits for 4-6 weeks. AAOS rotator cuff guidance.
Abdominal surgery (incl. C-section)
Add: high-waisted pants that sit ABOVE the incision, a small pillow for splinting (when coughing or laughing), a stool softener if your surgeon recommends it, and front-closing tops only. ACS abdominal recovery.
Back surgery
Add: a firm chair (no recliner — most spine surgeons advise upright sitting), a grabber, a sock aid, slip-on shoes, and adjustable lumbar pillows for the car ride home.
Mastectomy & chest surgery
Add: a recovery shirt with internal drain pockets, a small seatbelt-recovery pillow, a wedge pillow if you don’t have a recliner. See our Mastectomy first-14-days pillar for the full list.
What people put on their lists that they should not
New shoes that need breaking in
The day before surgery is not the day to start wearing a new pair of slip-ons. Buy them 2-3 weeks before so they are familiar by the time you need them.
Anything that goes over the head
Polo shirts, henleys, even quarter-zip pullovers — if you have to put your arms above your head to dress, the garment is unusable for the first 4-6 weeks. Front-closing only.
Heated blankets or heating pads without auto-shutoff
Pain medication makes you drowsy. A heating pad without an auto-shutoff feature can cause burns if you fall asleep on it. Some surgeons specifically advise against heat over surgical sites in the first 72 hours regardless — cold is preferred.
Tight bras, shapewear, or compression garments your surgeon did not prescribe
Some surgeons prescribe specific post-op compression. Otherwise, anything tight against the surgical site can interfere with blood flow and cause swelling. Soft, front-closing camisoles or wireless bralettes are the right answer for chest surgeries; soft underwear (not shapewear) for abdominal.
Watch: 30 seconds on tearaway pants for hip and knee recovery
Snap-side recovery pants with a flat-laying belt — the closure design that lets you dress one-handed and accommodate post-surgical swelling.
[ Embed: Drive video file 1kAurq_LN58pcWj3hu-4Z6pH2-6_JeuE7 — Tearaway Pajama with belt ]
The 14-day timeline
If surgery is two weeks away, here is the order to do things in.
- Day 14-10: Order the 9 core items. Online shipping varies; ordering with a week of buffer is the difference between “delivered Saturday” and “missed delivery, rescheduled for next week.”
- Day 10-7: Set up the bathroom (chair, handheld head, sponge, grab bars if needed). Move daily-use kitchen items to a low shelf so you do not have to reach overhead. Move the recliner or wedge pillow to the spot where you will be sleeping.
- Day 7-3: Cook and freeze 5-7 simple meals. Pre-fill your medication organizer. Confirm with one person who will be on call for the first 4 days.
- Day 3-1: Pre-wash all the new clothing and bedding. Charge all the electronics you will live with from the recliner (phone, tablet, headphones). Pack the small hospital bag — recovery shirt, slip-ons, small pillow, water bottle.
- Day of: Wear something easy on, easy off. Put the small recovery pillow in the car for the ride home.
Frequently asked questions
Will my insurance cover the post-surgical equipment?
Some of it. Walkers, crutches, raised toilet seats, and prescribed compression garments are often covered as DME (Durable Medical Equipment) when prescribed by your surgeon. Recovery clothing is generally not covered, with limited exceptions. Medicare’s DME page lists what is reimbursable. Ask the surgeon’s nurse — they handle these scripts every week.
How long until I can drive again?
Procedure-dependent. Most surgeons say no driving until you are off prescription opioids and can move freely without pain. That is typically 1-2 weeks for soft-tissue procedures, 4-6 weeks for hip and knee replacements, and as advised by the surgeon for shoulder. Until then, plan rides for follow-up appointments.
Is it okay to buy used recovery equipment?
For some items yes — walkers, raised toilet seats, shower chairs are commonly resold or borrowed. Inspect for cracks and stability. For clothing and pillows, buy new for hygiene reasons.
What if I forget something?
Most items can be next-day-delivered or picked up at a local pharmacy. The only items that are genuinely hard to source last-minute are recovery shirts with specific access designs (drain pockets, port access, tearaway construction). Order those first.
Should my partner be there for the first night?
Yes. The first 24-48 hours are when most fall risks happen — disorientation from anesthesia, low blood pressure on standing, unfamiliar mobility. AAOS, Mayo, and ACS all advise having someone in the home for at least the first 48 hours, ideally the first 4 days.
What about post-op constipation?
Pain medications routinely cause constipation. Most surgeons pre-prescribe or recommend a stool softener (docusate). Stock fiber-rich foods (prunes, oatmeal, leafy greens) and increase your water intake. If it is still a problem after day 3, call the surgeon’s nurse line.
Is it really 9 items, or is the list secretly longer?
The 9 are the core. Procedure-specific add-ons (walker, sling cushion, splinting pillow) bring the total to 11-13 for most patients. We kept the headline at 9 because that is the universal core; the procedure adds are worth a separate page each.
Sources and further reading
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons — Preparing for Joint Replacement Surgery
- American Cancer Society — Recovery After Surgery
- American Cancer Society — Eating Problems During Treatment
- Mayo Clinic — Hip Replacement
- Mayo Clinic — Knee Replacement
- Mayo Clinic — Mastectomy
- Memorial Sloan Kettering — Patient Education library
- Cleveland Clinic — Preparing for Surgery
- Medicare.gov — Durable Medical Equipment Coverage
Frequently Asked Questions
From the Inspired Comforts collection.
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