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KneeSurgery/Arthroscopy:Icing
Idon’tthinkit’spossibletoicetoomuchaftersurgery!Peopleoftenaskmeiftheyshouldicetwenty
minutesonandtwentyminutesoff.Myanswertothatis“no.”Youshouldiceasmuchaspossible,
especiallyduringthefirst3Ͳ4daysaftersurgery.Ifyouareresting,withyourlegelevated,youshould
haveanicepackonyoursurgicalsite.
Youdon’thavetohaveanicepackoncontinuously,butyoushouldbeicingoften.Ifyougetuptowalk
around,ofcourseyoucanremovetheicepack.Butifyoureallywanttobeconsistent,youcanusean
acewraptostrapthebagoficeoragelpacktoyourknee.LikeIsaid,youreallycan’ticetoomuch.
Mypreferenceforicingafterkneesurgeryistouseagianticebag.Don’tusealittleziplockbagofice
cubes.Getakitchengarbagebagandfillitupwithice.Makeitaboutthesizeofafloppywatermelon.
Thendoublebagit,putatowelacrossyourkneeandsmotherthatkneewiththeicebag.Whenthebag
oficemelts,getanotherone.Unlessyouhaveaveryefficienticemakeroricemachineathome,you
willneedacoolerfullofice.Getstockeduponicebeforeyoursurgery.
Thetowelacrossthekneeisimportant.Rightaftersurgeryit’stheretokeepyourdressingfromgetting
wet.Oncethedressingsareremoved,it’stheretoprotectyourskin.NEVERAPPLYANICEPACK
DIRECTLYTOYOURSKIN.Itcanburnyourskin.Afterabout20minutes,theskinundertheicepackgets
numbandyouwon’tfeeltheburningsensation.That’swherethe20minutesoffand20minuteson
thingcamefrom.It’sprotectionagainstburningyourskin.Butifyouprotectyourskinwithatowel,that
islesslikelytohappen.
Thegelpacksyoubuyinthestoreortheonesyoumakeathome(seebelow)areusefulonceyour
dressingscomeoff.Ifthegelpackcomeswithafabricliner,thenyoucanapplyitdirectlytoyourknee.
Butifitisplastic,orifyoumakeyourown,youmustputapieceoffabricbetweenitandyourskin.
NEVERAPPLYICEDIRECTLYTOYOURSKIN.
Homemade“GelPacks”
GetaquartsizedZiplocbagandfillitwith2cupsofwaterand1cupofrubbingalcohol.Zipthebag
nearlyallthewayclosedandsqueezeasmuchoftheairoutaspossible.Thenzipitclosed.Putitinside
anotherbag.Squeezetheairoutofthatonetoo.Putitinthefreezer.Iusuallymakeseveraloftheseat
atime,puttingapapertowelinbetweeneachoneandstackingtheminthefreezer.
Thealcohollowersthefreezingtemperatureandmakesmushyiceratherthanahardblockofice.It
takesafulldayfortheseto“setup”butyoucanreusethemseveraltimes.Afterawhiletheystart
leakingandyouhavetoputthemixtureintonewbags.
Andremember…NEVERAPPLYTHEMDIRECTLYTOYOURSKIN.
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