After your return home
Following your surgery, you may need to continue to wear elastic stockings – usually for 6 weeks - to reduce the risk of a blood clot developing, although this may be dependent on the anti-clotting medication you are given.
You will experience some soreness, tenderness, tingling, numbness, and itching around the incision, especially for the first few days, and it is likely that you will need some pain relief to ease the discomfort.
Swelling and bruising is normal after an operation. It’s usually nothing to worry about and will settle in due course.
However, the amount of swelling varies from person to person. Some patients can find it quite troublesome for several weeks. Swelling around your knee will increase your pain and make the joint stiff. Follow the post-op exercises, and keep your knee elevated to manage swelling and drainage when watching TV or working at a computer.
You can use a cryo/cuff or ice pack over the knee to help control the swelling, as directed by your occupational therapist.
Will I be able to walk on my own?
It’s important to regain your mobility as soon as possible after your surgery. It is normal to experience some discomfort when you first start walking and exercising after surgery, as your legs and feet may be swollen.
You may need to use crutches or a stick to take some of the weight off your knee. Though you should be able to walk without them after 2 or 3 weeks. If you have been given a knee brace, your care team will tell you how long you will need to wear it – it’s usually around 6 weeks at the most.
Wound care
After surgery, it is most likely that your wound will have a waterproof dressing that can remain in place for an average of 7-14 days. This will enable you to shower without getting it wet. When showering, place your back to the shower to avoid the shower directly going onto your dressing. If the dressing becomes wet and starts to peel off, you can replace it with a clean dressing, taking care not to touch the incision site and the inside of the dressing. Make sure the hospital gives you a spare dressing to take home.
Signs of infection
You must seek urgent medical advice from your doctor if you start to notice the following:
the dressing is continuously leaking or saturated due to excessive bleeding.
the surrounding skin has become red and is spreading outwards.
an increase in pain or odour.
a change in the size of the incision.
the dressing has moved, and the wound is now visible.
a yellow or green foul-smelling discharge.
blisters developing around your surgery site, fever or shivering.
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