Recovery After Knee Replacement: What to Expect

Recovery after knee replacement is a step-by-step process. It differs from person to person, and your surgeon and physiotherapist will plan it around your health and the type of surgery you had.

In the hospital

• Pain relief is arranged so that you can start moving early.
• A physiotherapist usually helps you to sit up, stand and take your first steps with support.
• The team checks the wound, your swelling and your general condition before you go home.
• You and your family are told how to care for the wound and which medicines to take.

Physiotherapy is a big part of recovery

Regular exercises help the knee bend and straighten, and they rebuild the muscles around it. Doing the exercises as advised matters as much as the surgery itself. Do not push beyond what your physiotherapist recommends.

Caring for yourself at home

• Keep the wound clean and dry, as you were shown.
• Take medicines exactly as prescribed.
• Use a walker or stick while your doctor advises it.
• Arrange the house to be safe: clear floors, good lighting, a raised toilet seat or a chair in the bathroom if needed.
• Elevate the leg and use ice for swelling if your doctor suggests it.
• Return to daily activities gradually, and ask before driving or travelling.

When to call your doctor

Contact the clinic promptly if you notice:

• increasing redness, warmth, swelling or discharge at the wound
• fever or chills
• pain that suddenly gets worse
• swelling, pain or tenderness in the calf
• chest pain or shortness of breath (seek emergency care at once)

Questions to ask your surgeon

• How long will I stay in hospital?
• Which exercises should I do, and how often?
• When can I return to work, driving and travel?
• Which signs should make me call you?

Consult Dr. Ankkur Kumar in Pimple Saudagar, Pune

Learn more about knee replacement surgery in Pune and robotic knee replacement, or read when to consider knee replacement. To discuss your knee, visit the orthopaedic clinic in Pimple Saudagar.

This article is general information and is not a substitute for medical advice.