Total Knee Replacement Discharge Information

Discharge Advice - Total Knee Replacement

Activity guidelines:

Avoid standing for long periods of time, use a high stool for convenience.

No heavy gardening such as digging, weeding, lawn mowing. Consult your surgeon before returning to active sport, you may be able to ride an exercise bike or swim at 4 weeks from operation. If possible avoid all driving for 6 weeks following your surgery or until your surgeon has cleared you to drive.

Getting in and out of the car: have your seat as far back as possible and partially reclined. Get in to the car bottom first and slide back over the seat, then swing your legs in. Stairs - it is advisable you practice stair climbing in the hospital before you go home. Upstairs: un-operated leg first then operated leg then crutches, Downstairs crutches first, followed by operated leg the un-operated leg.

Hygiene:

• During your first 2 weeks, until the wounds are healed, keep your dressings clean and dry.

• For showering sit on a stool only if you are unsteady on your feet.

• Do not have a bath or go swimming until the wound is fully healed.

• A raised toilet seat will assist if your toilet is too low.

Wound care:

• If any redness, drainage, or swelling of your incision occurs, please contact your surgeon

• Keep your dressing clean and dry.

• After 2 weeks no dressing is necessary.

• Should your sticky dressings bleed through, change it to a clean one, leaving the steri-strips (adhesive strips sealing your wounds) intact. It should not happen after discharge from the hospital.

• Sleep on your good side with your operated leg supported by a pillow.

• A high chair with arms may be necessary to reduce effort initially.

• Do not sit with crossed legs.

Medications:

• You should resume taking your normal medications.

• Take painkillers as directed.

• When taking strong painkillers (Codeine, Tramadol, Oxycontin, Oxynorm) you will need to watch out for constipation. Eat plenty of high fibre foods and fruit and drink plenty of fluids.

• Continue using your compression stockings and taking your blood thinner tablets.

• Do not take anti-inflammatories (Nurofen, Voltaren, Diclofenac) while you are on the blood thinners.

Notify your Doctor if you:

• Develop a fever of 38 degrees or more that lasts 24 hours.

• Have profuse drainage from your wounds.

• Have increase pain despite using painkillers.

• Calf/thigh pain if you develop pain or tenderness of your calf or thigh please contact the surgeon's room.

• Develop swelling and pain in your calf, back of the knee or thigh.

• Develop sudden chest pain and shortness of breath (this could be a sign of pulmonary embolism - please go to the nearest Emergency Department)

• Have sudden pain after a bad movement and cannot move as before (this can be a sign of dislocation - please go to the Emergency Department)