h1>After my Knee Surgery and it Hurts: Post-Care Case
A couple of weeks ago, while in the pool, I came across a woman (she was about 65 years old) doing some unusual exercises. We started
to talk and I asked her about the movements she was performing. She replied: “These are exercises for my knee”. Obviously, I became curious about what happened to her and asked more questions. It turned out that she was having severe pain in the joint, went to the doctor and received a total knee replacement.
Thinking she was already fine she left the hospital. Well, it seems that the orthopedic doctor didn”t give her a full recovery plan. Weeks later, the knee wasn”t feeling well. When she returned for an evaluation, the results showed that the she didn”t recover her full range of motion because of poor post-care therapy.
I felt bad when she exposed me the case but at the same time made me realize how important it is for you as a patient to always follow the advice of your doctor and do everything you have to do to have a successful surgery. Therefore, pain-free knee. It is important to follow the instructions we have stated before:
- Wear your stockings
- Elevate your feet on a footstool whenever you are sitting up in a chair
- Use ice packs anywhere, anytime you like. Also a good mild pain reliever. Do not use a heating pad; it will aggravate swelling
- Get in the habit of doing ankle pumps and circles whenever you are sitting still. Muscle action helps to move collected fluid out of these tissues. It also improves your circulation
- Report any persistent swelling, calf tenderness, pain in the calf with ankle flexion, warmth, or redness, or any drainage from your incision
Also, you must follow up with therapy until you recover full range of motion. When I started to talk about these things with the lady from the pool, she couldn”t believe how misinformed she was. I don”t want to point my finger at anybody, but you have to realize that doctors are human beings and they can also make mistakes, forget about things and/or give poor advice.
Resting after a knee replacement is necessary to heal, but moving the joint as fast as you can is also necessary. At Doctor Mead”s practice, I see patients standing up in two days and walking right away. Then, complete rehabilitation plans are set in motion to start full recovery. It is for me a little awkward to say this (I would things is common sense). But, when I see cases like the one I found, I realize not every doctor and/or practice act the same way. She was in pain and surely will need another procedure for lack of post-care. That is inconceivable.
Please, if you feel this is your case or know somebody with the same situation, feel free to contact us and we will be happy to help and guide you to the right direction.
Surgeon’s Advice | Leon Mead MD Orthopedic Doctor | 730 Goodlette Road North, Suite 201 Naples Florida 34102 | Phone: (239) 262-1119