Showering/Bathing: ________ You may shower 2 days after surgery. You may shower if there is no drainage from your incisions. Your dressing may be removed for showering. You may get your incisions wet in the shower.
Keeping stitches dry
cover your stitches when you have a shower, with a waterproof dressing – you may be able to use a rubber glove or plastic bag if they will cover your wound.
Bathing and Showering
If your incisions are dry, you may begin to shower 48 hours after surgery. Keep incisions covered with a waterproof bandage or plastic while you shower until sutures/staples are removed. When you are finished, pat your incision dry and apply a clean, dry bandage if needed.
Don't sit in low chairs
Sitting on a low seat or sofa can make it tricky to get up again without putting undue stress on your knee. If possible, sit in firm chairs with back support and armrests until you are fully recovered.
Water is your best choice. Caffeine or alcohol can make constipation worse. Eat more high-fiber foods such as whole-grain bread, bran cereals, fresh fruit and vegetables. Be as active as you can each day.
TKA patients begin rehabilitation during the seven-day bedrest period, with the goals of decreasing swelling, increasing ROM, promoting normal leg control and promoting normal gait with an assistive device.
Patients will develop swelling in the leg, and there may be some bruising or redness around the incision area one week after surgery. “These are normal findings,” Dr. Lyon assures. “There might be slight drainage from the incision, but resolving.”
Plastic Bag
Using paper as a cover will not do the job; instead, it will cause more mess than a wet cast, which is why using plastic bags is an excellent way to keep a cast, plastic or fiberglass, dry in the shower. Place your arm or leg into the plastic bag and secure it medical or duct tape.
You'll want to sleep so that your operating side faces the ceiling, meaning that you do not want to lay on it. That will keep the pressure off the knee you had surgery on. It's also a better idea to place a pillow or a few between your knees to provide greater support and comfort.
The first two to three weeks post-op is generally the time patients feel most discouraged due to the pain. It's hard to get up from a chair, it's difficult going up and down stairs, you're moving slowly and you have to use a walker because you have no strength or balance.
Sleeping on the side can be painful because the leg is not straight enough. However, gradually, you can start sleeping on your side as the knee heals. But avoid sleeping on the operative side at all costs, as it puts a lot of pressure on the surgery site.
Although exercise is the key to healing, you could be backpedaling progress by overworking your knee. Signs of over-exercising include swelling of the entire leg and lingering pain that stretches into the evening or into the next day.
Soft tissue irritation around the knee – The most common pain patients experience that occurs years after a knee replacement will be the soft tissue around the knee. Patients still have multiple tendons, ligaments, and muscles around the knee that may become irritated with varying activities.
The biggest challenge in the early recovery of a TKR (up to 3 months postoperative) is the regaining of knee motion. We will send a physical therapist to your house to help you with the walking, knee exercises, and gentle manipulation of the knee.
Orthopedics. Most patients, even if they live alone, can safely go directly home from the hospital after hip or knee replacement surgery, according to a recent study.
They inhibit osteoblasts at the endosteal bone surface and also reduce both the immune response and the inflammatory response.
As mentioned earlier, pain is one of the biggest contributing factors for patients who have trouble sleeping after their surgery. Oftentimes a patient will move in their sleep and be woken up by the pain they experience if they unknowingly move in a way their body shouldn't move.
Urinary tract infection: Infection to your urinary tract can occur after having surgery. Symptoms include burning and frequent urination, as well as blood in your urine. Fever and weakness may also occur. Report any of these signs to your doctor.
Use a raised toilet seat for about 2-3 weeks. Thereafter you can start using the normal 'water closet'. This height restriction is normally till the time stitches are removed. 3-4 weeks after your surgery you will be comfortable and will find it easy to sit on a 14” high stool for taking a bath.
Think about the basic everyday tasks you need to do and consider how you would manage if you were unable to bend your knee eg. getting in and out of a chair or even going to the toilet. And don't forget you won't be able to drive for a while. Try to put your pride aside and make sure you have help on hand.
Answer: Immediately after surgery you will learn to climb stairs safely using crutches. As recovery continues and you work on flexion and extension of the new knee, you will be able to climb without crutches. With the help of physical therapy and building up the quadriceps muscles, stair climbing will be a breeze.