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KneeSurgery/Arthroscopy:PostOpInstructions
Aftersurgeryyou’llhaveseveralinstructions.Theseinstructionswillbegiventoyouintheofficebefore
surgeryandreinforcedbythenurseaftersurgeryintherecoveryarea.
Postoperativeappointment:Makesureyourememberthedate/timeofthisappointmentandifyou
don’thaveonescheduled,youshoulddothisrightaway.Call512Ͳ439Ͳ1001tomakeanappointment.
Yourincisionwillbecheckedandyourstitchesberemoved.We’llalsoreviewwhatIfoundinsurgery
andevaluateyourprogress.Ifthereareanyquestionsyouthinkofduringtheseveraldaysafteryour
surgery,writethemdownandaskthematthistime.
Prescriptions:Theseshouldhavebeengiventoyouorcalledintoyourpharmacyatthetimeofyour
preͲopvisit.Makesureyouhavepickedtheseupbeforesurgerysoyoudon’thavetowaittogetthem
afteryou’vehadyoursurgery.
Iusuallyprescribeanarcoticpainpill,butsomepatientshaveproblemswithnauseaaftersurgery.If
youareoneofthese,pleasebesuretoaskustogiveyouaprescriptionforanantiͲemeticsoyoudon’t
getcaughtwithoutthem.
Unlessyoucan’ttakeaspirinforsomereason,Ialwaysaskmypatientstotakeonebabyaspirinevery
dayfor3monthsafterthesurgeryinordertopreventbloodclotsordeepvenousthrombosis(DVT).
Exercise:Inmostcases,afterkneesurgeryIencouragemypatientstobeginmovingtheirknee.IfIdon’t
wantyoutomoveyourknee,Iwillmostlikelyputyouinsomekindofabracetokeepyoufromdoing
so,orIwillgiveyouspecificinstructionsonhowIwantyoutoexercise.Butiftherearenorestrictions,I
willwantyoutobeginbendingandstraighteningyourkneeassoonasyoucantoleratedoingso;the
earlierthebetter.Andlikeicingyourknee,youcan’tdoittoomuch.Exercisingseveraltimeseveryday
isimportanttoyouroverallrecovery.Don’twaitforphysicaltherapyorforthismotiontojusthappen
onitsown.
x Bendingtheknee(flexion):youcandothisbysimplyhangingyourkneeatthesideof
thebedorchair.Youcanalsoslideyourheelupanddownonthemattresswhileyou
areinbed.Sometimesyourkneewillfeelrestrictedbyswellingorastretchingsensation
fromyourstitches.That’snormalandwillgetbettereveryday.Iwouldlikeforyouto
getabout90degreesofflexionbythetimeyoucometoyourfirstofficevisit.
x Straighteningtheknee(extension):Mostpatientscansimplyputtheirlegstraighton
thebed.Ifyoucandothis,thentrytoliftitstraightupsoyoucantonethefront
musclesofyourthigh.Ifyoucan’tstraightenyourkneealltheway,thensitinachair
andputyourheelonapillowonanotherchairoracoffeetable.Letyourlegextendout
acrossthatspacelikeabridge.Thenpressgentlybutfirmlyonthefrontofyourthighto
makethekneegoasstraightastheotherside.Onceitdoesthat,youcantightenthe
musclesofthethightoholditthere.Itisimportanttogetfullstraighteningoftheknee
assoonaspossibleaftersurgery.Eachdaythatgoesduringwhichyoudon’tstraighten
yourkneemakesitthatmuchmoredifficulttodoitlater.
Austin: Northwest
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439-1009
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439-1004
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439-1005
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Straightlegraises:Laydownonyourbed.Bendtheotherlegtotakepressureoffyour
back.Puttheaffectedlegoutstraight.Tightenthequadricepsmusclesonthefrontof
yourthighandtrytoliftyourlegjustafewinchesoffthebed.Holditthereforafull
countandthenrestitbackonthebed.Dotenoftheseinarowifyoucan.Doseveral
setsoftheseeveryday.
Weightbearing:Youwillbegiveninstructionsonyourweightbearingstatus.Inmost
casesyouwillbe“fullweightbearing”or“weightbearingastolerated.”Thismeansyou
canputasmuchweightonthelegasyouareable.Forsomethismeansatfirstusing
crutches.Theyareonlyneededifyoufeelthatyouneedthemforsupportorbalanceor
forpaincontrol.ButrestassuredifIinstructyoutoputfullweightonyourleg,itis
becauseIfeelthatthiswillnotharmyourknee.Youcanusecrutchesifyousodesire,
buttheyarenotnecessaryforyourrecovery.
Calfpumping:Thisisnotreallyanexercise.Itisusedtohelppreventthedevelopment
ofbloodclots(DVT)inyourleg.Aftersurgery,youareataslightlyincreasedriskof
developingaDVT,especiallyifyouhavehadsurgeryonyourlowerextremities.By
flexingandextendingyouranklesupanddown,youmovethemusclesinyourcalf.They
inturnhelpmovethebloodinyourlegsandkeepthebloodfrompoolingwhichcould
resultintheformationofaDVT.Dothisasleast20timesadayforatleastaminuteata
time.Ifyou’rewatchingTV,doitduringthecommercials.
Activity:Aftersurgeryonyourlowerextremityitisimportanttorestandelevateyourleg.Thishelps
controlswelling.Swellingnotonlyhurts,butanexcessiveamountofswellingcanslowdownyour
recoveryanditcanalsocontributetothedevelopmentofbloodclots.UntilIseeyoubackintheoffice
foryourfirstpostopvisit,Iwouldlikeforyoutoliearound,takeiteasyandelevateyourlegasmuchas
youcan.Iencourageyoutogetuptogotothebathroom,tothelivingroomorkitchenwhenneeded,
butdon’tdoanyunnecessarytoolingaround.Don’tgoshopping,don’tchoosethistimetocleanhouse
ormowthelawn.Trytoavoidgoingonlongtrips,eitherbyplaneorcar.
Icing:Pleaseseemyspecificinstructionsonkneesurgeryicing.
DressingChanges:Pleaseseemyspecificinstructionsforkneesurgerydressingchanges.
ReturningtoWork:Pleaseseethosespecificinstructionstoo.