After the Operation

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•  Pain relief – Making sure that you are comfortable, and your pain is acceptable after surgery is one of the main tasks of the team of people who will be looking after you.

 

Pain management begins whilst you are in the theatre suite and continues according to your individual requirements throughout your admission.

 

The anaesthetic used is focused on minimising pain after your operation, but pain is a normal part of the recovery process.  The aim of pain relief after your operation is to make the pain bearable and to allow you to get up and start using your new joint.  It is not possible to eliminate pain altogether and a certain level of pain should be expected. 

 

Early mobility is very important in helping to prevent post-operative complications and can speed up your general recovery.  You should be able to take a deep breath and move with the minimum of discomfort.

 

• Hospital stay is usually 0 (day case) to 1 day.

 

• Physical therapy – Your rehabilitation and its effect on your outcome is down to you. You will start to put weight on the knee with support from a frame or crutches from the day of your surgery. You should expect to be able to walk independently by 6 weeks following your surgery.

 

It is important to do your exercises regularly and increase your activity day-by-day. This not only improves your rehabilitation and functional outcome, but it also helps prevent complications like a blood clot. Movement also helps to unlock the pain cycle.

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• Wound care - Your wound will be covered with a special dressing in theatre.  We do not disturb the dressing unless it is heavily soiled, this allows healing to take place and reduces the risk of infection.  The dressing will be reviewed daily by the nursing team whilst you are in hospital.

 

Your skin closure will be performed with dissolvable sutures or staples. It will take approximately 10-14 days to heal. If staples are used then they will be removed after this time. A waterproof dressing will be used to cover the wound and showers are permitted, but it is recommended that you do not immerse the dressing in a bath or expose the wound to water until it has healed.

 

Mr. White and/or your physiotherapist are more than happy to discuss in more detail issues surrounding:

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• Returning to work

• Using your knee following your operation

• Driving

• Anticipated length of rehabilitation.

 

Please notify us if undergoing any other operations, hospital tests, dental work, or if you develop any infections or soft tissue wounds before your scheduled operation. Your operation may have to be deferred to reduce the risk of developing a deep infection of your partial knee replacement. If you are unsure, then please discuss this with Mr. White and the team.

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Avoiding Problems after Surgery

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Recognising the Signs of a Blood Clot

 

Please follow the advice and instructions from the hospital to reduce the risk of blood clots developing during your recovery. You will be discharged with blood thinning medication for the first two weeks following your knee replacement. Notify your GP and/or seek immediate medical attention if your develop any of the following warning signs:

 

Warning signs of a blood clot in the leg (deep vein thrombosis; DVT):

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• Increased pain in your calf and leg that is unrelated to your incision

• Tenderness or redness above or below your knee

• New or increasing swelling in your calf, ankle, and foot

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Warning signs of a blood clot in the lung (pulmonary embolism; PE):

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• Sudden shortness of breath

• Sudden onset of chest pain

• Localised chest pain with coughing

 

Preventing Infection

 

A common cause of infection after a knee replacement is from bacteria that enters your bloodstream during dental procedures, urinary tract infections, and/or skin infections. Theses bacteria can lodge in your knee replacement and cause a deep infection.

 

After a knee replacement, patients with certain risk factors may need to take antibiotics prior to dental work and before any surgical procedure that could allow bacteria to enter the bloodstream.

 

Warning signs of infection. Notify Mr. White, your GP, and/or seek immediate medical attention if you develop any of the following signs of a possible knee replacement infection:

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• Persistent fever

• Chills

• Increasing redness, tenderness, or swelling around the knee wound

• Drainage from the knee wound

• Increasing knee pain with both activity and rest.