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At Home Instructions

After surgery you can expect gradual improvement over the coming months. You should expect less pain, stiffness and swelling, and a more independent lifestyle. Returning to work depends on how quickly you heal and how demanding your job may be on a new joint. After you are discharged from the hospital or rehab facility, there will be a few weeks before you return for a follow-up visit with your surgeon. This period of time is critical in your rehabilitation and for positive long-term results from your surgery. In general, patients do very well after discharge. However, it’s important that you contact the surgeon’s office if any of the following occur:

• You have increasing pain in the operative site.

• There is new or increased redness or warmth since discharge

• There is new or increased drainage from your incision.

• The operative site is increasingly swollen.

• Your calf becomes swollen, tender, warm, or reddened.

• You have a temperature above 101 for more than 24 hours.

• For total knee replacement, your ability to flex (bend your knee) has decreased or remains the same as when you were discharged from the hospital.

Managing Pain and Discomfort

We encourage you to take your pain medication as soon as you begin to feel pain. Do not wait until the pain becomes severe. Follow the instructions on the prescription label. Remember to take your pain medication before activity and bedtime. If you need to have stitches or staples removed and you are still taking pain medications, be sure to have a friend or family member drive you to your surgeon’s appointment. Pain medication may cause nausea. If this happens, decrease the amount you are taking or stop and contact your surgeon’s office. If you need additional pain medication, please contact your surgeon’s office. If you need more pain medication, you must give a three day advance notice before you run out medication. Please plan ahead, especially for holiday weekends.

Also remember:

• You are not permitted to drive a car while taking narcotic pain medication.

• It may take several days to have a bowel movement. Anesthesia and pain medication often cause constipation. Drink plenty of fluids and eat whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. A stool softener or laxative can help bowel function return to normal.

• Please do not hesitate to call your surgeon’s office with any questions or concerns.

Incision Care

Your incision will be covered with a dressing. Before you go home, your surgeon or nurse will explain how to take care of your wound and when to remove your dressing. Make sure you understand these instructions before you leave the hospital and who to contact if you need assistance. Note: How to care for your wound is included in your hospital discharge instructions. Call your surgeon immediately if you notice any increase in drainage, redness, warmth, or have a fever above 101 degrees Fahrenheit for more than 24 hours. These may be signs that your incision may be infected.

Walker, Crutches, Cane

Use your assistive devices for balance as instructed by your surgeon or therapist. By your first post-op visit with your surgeon, you may have already improved and changed from using a walker or crutches to a cane (as recommended by your surgeon or therapist).

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