How To Recover After Knee Surgery

Knee surgeries are safe procedures. Overall, they have great results. However, for the process to succeed, you must follow the recovery guidelines as strictly as possible. Recovery from knee surgery is no mystery. Basically, you need to take care of the wound, take all the necessary medicines and do regular exercise.

Patients should be aware that the recovery process depends on how well they follow these steps. You definitely need the support of your family during the home care phase. However, with dedication you can complete the process without major problems.

Knee surgery for a new knee

There are several reasons why knees degenerate. Age is the most common factor, as the cartilage wears down over the years. Other factors such as obesity, high-impact sports, or jobs that require physical strength are also common.

In some cases there is a lot of deterioration and patients need a new knee. This procedure then replaces the main parts of this joint with artificial ones.

Generally, these surgeries take two to three hours. After the procedure you will go to the recovery room. Patients are given a bandage and a drain in their knee. The next day, doctors will take an X-ray. If all goes well, they can begin to put weight on their feet, formally starting the recovery process.

Recovering after knee surgery

In general, after knee surgery, you will need to stay in the hospital for two or three days. Then you start the rehabilitation phase at home. At this stage, there are three important things you need to do to take care of your knee. These include:

• wound care. Its main purpose is to prevent infections. To prevent them, you should change the bandage daily and take your prescribed medications. It is important to avoid getting the wound too wet.
• Balanced diet. A balanced diet contributes significantly to recovery after knee surgery. In addition, your doctor can prescribe nutritional supplements, especially if you are deficient in something.

• Get regular exercise. This is an important element, especially during the first few weeks of recovery. Your physical therapist will also tell you which exercises to do. Recovery time largely depends on how consistently and regularly you do the exercises.

Physical therapy is so important. In general, the program lets you walk along with specific exercises. You should also get back to your daily activities as soon as possible.

Other general recommendations

There are many things to consider if you want a quick knee recovery after knee surgery. The most important include the following:

• Get help. The first days you need someone to help you with daily activities.
• Take care of the wound. In general, you should keep the wound bandaged until doctors remove the stitches. This almost always happens about two weeks after knee surgery.
• Move your knee. We recommend bending your knee every 20 minutes and then changing the position of your legs. Also, do not put pillows under the operated knee.
• Inconveniences at night. If you feel discomfort at night, we recommend that you get up and walk a little.
• Good footwear. Make sure to wear comfortable closed-toed shoes. This is also important for stability so you don’t fall.

• Dress seated. It is better to dress seated as you will not be as stable as normal.
• Keep your hands free. It is better not to have anything in your hands while walking. You have to focus on not falling.
• Using tools. We do not recommend using walkers, crutches, or canes unless specifically instructed to do so by your doctor.

Warning signs after knee surgery

Like all postoperative periods, knee surgery has some potential risks and complications. These are the main warning signs to watch out for. If you have one or more, go to the hospital right away. These include:

• The wound bleeds a lot after surgery.
• Constant and high fever.
• Extreme pain that you cannot control with painkillers.
• Significant inflammation in the knee.
• Changes in skin color. Be especially careful if it turns very red, or bluish or blackish.
• Deviation of the knee. Also the inability to support your foot after a fall.