Do And Don’t After Knee Replacement Surgery
Our knee joint proves to be one of the important assets of the body. Sometimes, due to some reasons, there can be serious complications to the knee joint. A person can experience intense pain and find it hard to make proper use of his knees. Even things can become worse in such a way that the surgeon has to performs knee replacement surgery. This kind of surgery brings out damaged portions of the knee joint and places artificial (implant) as a replacement. The major objective of knee replacement is to keep a person out of a painful state and restricted motion.
Surely this kind of orthopedic surgery proves to be a major deal. And the patient needs to go through many phases. During this medical journey, a patient has to keep himself strong. The surgical procedure is in the hands of the orthopedic surgeon and his team. But, the recovery process will be the duty of the patient and his family members. An orthopedic surgeon and his team can only guide them the better way. It will be their duty to perform all such things precisely. There will be a strict need to keep an eye on certain aspects after some months of the surgery since this activity will be productive for a better and speedy recovery.
Apart from the surgical procedure, it is equally important to know about the things that take place after its completion. The process of recovery depends on the kind of surgery implemented as well as the condition of the patient. Here, the team of Mewar Hospitals is suggesting some do’s and don’ts after knee replacement surgery. So, with its help, a person can identify the measures to accept and avoid in such cases.
The Do’s
1. Do Exercise Regularly
Apart from medicines, there is an important thing that you can’t overlook, and that is physical sessions. It proves to be one of the chief aspects of a post-surgical activity. The patient will need to involve himself in physical activities the very next day of the surgery. Such activities will be beneficial in different means. Like, they will lead to
* A better recovery
* Help to make the new knee stronger
* Help to let you walk soon
* Restore movement
You may find such exercises painful. But, they will be recommended for the sake of your betterment. Just perform them with the thought that they will contribute to a speedy recovery and you can return back to many normal life activities soon. And yes, if you concentrate on such activities properly, they will become shorter after some time.
2. Do Use Walker
One of the common and effective procedures for a knee to heal is walking. But, if you do it with the help of a walker in the initial three to four weeks, it will be beneficial. Since walking without a walker right after the surgery can be unsafe and lead to pressure on the knee. If it happens, there can be an occurrence of pain and swelling.
3. Do Listen To Your Surgeon’s Advice Carefully
One of the main aims behind knee replacement surgery is to get rid of pain and restore mobility. After having this procedure, there can be an eagerness to recover soon and work without any pain or restriction. You can restore many things, but make sure to follow the sayings of your surgeon. Mewar Hospitals will be there to co-operate you with different approaches that can facilitate a speedy recovery and returning back to ordinary life. So, ensure to develop a routine according to their recommendations.
4. Do Take Help from Heat And Cold Therapy
Having knee replacement surgery doesn’t mean a patient will find relief from all the things right after the procedure. Some things take time to settle. Like, if we talk about swelling, it may continue to trouble for some months after the surgery. In such cases, you can take help from icing three to four times a day. This activity will assist to lessen down the effect of swelling. In some cases, there can be a need to go for hot therapy. But, make sure to perform these things under the advice of your surgeon.
5. Do Focus On The Recommended Diet
It is important to take a healthy diet after such a major orthopedic surgery. You need to consume fruits and vegetables that are rich in vitamins and nutrients. The patient also needs to intake the proper amount of fluid. But, make sure to keep away from consuming alcohol as it can slow down the recovery process. In addition, there will be a need to concentrate on the things prescribed by the surgeon.
6. Do Ensure Proper Rest
Yes, we understand that undergoing knee replacement surgery is a challenging task. And even after its completion, the process of recovery can be a tough call. If you want to recover within the expected time, make sure to deliver proper rest to the body.
The Don’ts
1. Don’t Sit For Too Long
When you’ve had knee replacement surgery, try to avoid prolonged sitting for at least four weeks. And yes, it will be better if you move somewhere for 5-10 minutes every two hours. Yes, we mentioned that proper rest is necessary for such circumstances. But, don’t spend too much time sleeping. Instead, there must be an attempt to get up and move around as it proves to be essential for the recovery process.
2. Make Preparations To Prevent A Fall
You may not walk properly after the surgery. But, at the same time, you’ll have to deal with some workings. Remember, losing balance can raise the likelihood of a fall. That’s why, you can go for some protective measures like installing nightlights, placing a bath mat, a texture on slippery places, using a raised toilet seat, wearing non skid socks, installing a Grab bar in the toilet or bathroom, etc.
3. Don’t Unbalance Physical Therapies
Make sure to bear one thing in mind. After the completion of knee replacement surgery, you don’t need to be involved in too much therapy. And at the same time, you can’t overlook it completely. Therapy should be there but in a balanced state. If you take help from Mewar Hospital for knee replacement surgery, trust our team as they will try to guide you for balanced healing.
4. Don’t Put Too Much Strain On The Knee
Sometimes, some errors can lead to complications especially in cases of knee replacement surgery. Putting a strain on the knee might be risky. If you don’t know about the activities that can lead to strain in the knee side, kindly consult the surgeon of Mewar Hospitals. And here, we will suggest two important points for better knowledge. The first one is to avoid lifting the heavy weight until the complete recovery. The second one is to move the entire body while turning instead of twisting the knee. And yes, if the patient is obese, he needs to cut down the weight with the help of a medically supervised plan. This is because a healthy weight can limit the stress on the knees.
5. Don’t Hesitate Discussing The Pain
You’ll not obtain relief from pain right after the surgery. It will take some time for the pain to settle. In such cases, the surgeon will recommend taking pain-relieving medicines. Yes, the pain will be hard to bear, but don’t hide it in front of your surgeon. Make sure to discuss all the odd happenings with him.
6. Don’t Continue These Habits
If you’re desperate for a quick healing process, there will be a need to avoid some unhealthy lifestyle activities. Firstly, if someone has a habit to smoke, they need to cut it down or completely stop. Smoking can lead to slow down recovery because it shrinks the blood vessels. Drinking alcohol is surely injurious to the overall body. But especially in cases of knee replacement, you need to stay away from it. If someone is taking blood thinners or narcotic pain medications, they must not intake a single drop of alcohol. And yes, it will be better if you avoid both these activities for the rest of your life as it will contribute to healthy living.
7. Don’t Involve In High Impact Sports
Even if pain and swelling have been settled after the surgery, you need to put yourself in control. Try to avoid activities that ask for regular twisting. Keep yourself away from high-impact sports. Instead, you can go for activities like cycling, walking, and swimming as per the surgeon’s guidance so they can help to stay fit and rebuild the muscle without excessive impact.
8. Don’t Get Embarrassed At The Airport
During a knee replacement surgery, the implants used as a substitute for the damaged portions are of metals in many cases. Such implants may appear in the metal detectors in the airport. That’s why kindly tell the security officers about your surgery. In these cases, there can be a need to go through a full-body scanner.
Some Other Things You Can Bear In Mind
- Even after you achieve proper recovery, it will be better to continue exercising. This will be helpful to maintain strong muscles around the knee and therefore support the artificial joint. You can ask our orthopedic surgeon about the exercises that are advantageous in such cases.
- You need to take care of the artificial knee especially in cases of a cut, wound, or a major dental process like a root canal. All these activities can give a chance to the bacteria to enter the body and reaching the artificial knee. Some other surgical procedures may also deliver a chance to the bacteria that can infect the artificial knee. If the artificial knee is infected, there might be a need for an operation. Therefore make sure to keep this point in mind.
- Even if you have achieved the level of recovery, it will be better to visit the orthopedic surgeon once or twice in an annual calendar. Such appointments will be beneficial to detect problems in the knee and save you from troubles.
- Surely with the help of knee replacement, you can perform a lot of activities. But, don’t expect that you can do everything like before. You may not indulge in high-impact exercises like jumping a rope or jogging as they can break the implant or make it wear. You may also need to compromise on some other activities like skiing and mountain biking.
- The new implant will not stay healthy forever. They also have a life of around 15-20 years. However, it depends on some conditions. After that, there will be a need for knee revision surgery.
Yes, knee replacement surgery helps to improve functions in the body. But, it can also put multiple restrictions on the life of a person. A patient can feel something strange in some activities. Like, in the case of kneeling, rising from the chair, or going upstairs, he or she may find differences as compared to the natural joint. There can be a presence of swelling, numbness, crackling, or stiffness. But, it proves to be a common appearance in many patients. So, you don’t need to worry too much.
The Ending Note
Knee replacement surgery is supposed to be one of the major joint replacement surgery. Surely the recovery process can be long, challenging, and painful, but you need to keep up the spirit. Don’t think too much about whatever happened. Just concentrate on the recommendations of the surgeon so it will positively assist in a quicker recovery. The team of Mewar Hospitals is here to facilitate you with different kinds of surgical assistance. Additionally, we have mentioned a lot of important things in the upper section that can help a person in such circumstances.
Even if you want to know something more from our side, kindly get in touch with our team. For further assistance about joint replacement or any kind of orthopedic surgery, you can visit our hospitals situated in different parts of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
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