Comprehensive Guide to Total Knee Replacement Recovery

Learn About the Knee Replacement Recovery Process

If you’ve experienced a total knee replacement procedure on the Lower East Side, you already know that it’s a major operation. What you may be uncertain about, however, is what to expect from the recovery period that follows.

Likewise, for those preparing for or considering a total knee replacement procedure on the Lower East Side, learning about the recovery process is just as important as learning about the operation itself. Properly informed patients can better make preparations and accommodations for a safe, healthy, and efficient recovery period and will have a better chance of long-term success following their surgery.

While many doctors are only actively involved in the actual surgical treatment process, the doctors and specialists at Rothman Orthopaedic Institute are personally involved and invested in every step of your treatment—before, during, and after your knee replacement operation. That’s why we take special care to oversee, advise, and direct you throughout your recovery. And it’s why we’ve compiled the following introduction to knee replacement recovery.

Continue reading to learn what to expect from the recovery process and what steps you can take to ensure that your recovery is as healthy and successful as possible.

Knee Replacement Recovery: What to Expect

Perhaps you’re already familiar with the steps of the total knee replacement surgery—but how well acquainted are you with the steps of the recovery process? Here’s a step-by-step look at what to expect from post-surgery recovery.

First, you will be moved to a recovery room where you will awaken from anesthesia and have your  pain and health monitored. patients today typically remain in the hospital for a day following a total knee replacement surgery; however many are even able to return home the same day.

After you are discharged from the hospital or surgery center, you will begin your independent recovery at home. Important components of your recovery at home will include wound care, managing pain, and gradually resuming light activity (this will include walking, light household activities, and prescribed exercises).

You will also be assigned a physical therapy regimen as your ability to perform activity increases that will largely be performed in the home setting. Physical therapy will help you to restore full movement to your knee and leg through total knee replacement exercises.

Throughout the entire recovery period, you will be monitored closely by your Rothman team for any possible complications.. After four to six weeks, you will likely be able to resume most activities, including driving.

Total Knee Replacement Recovery: How to Prepare

How can you best prepare for your knee replacement surgery recovery? Are there measures you can take to improve your recovery? In short, the answer is yes. The experts at Rothman Orthopaedic Institute recommend taking the following actions to ensure a successful recovery:

• Prepare your home for recovery. Making small alterations can greatly improve the ease of your recovery (during which your mobility will be impaired). These include: installing railings along stairways, installing safety bars in showers, preparing a comfortable chair with a footrest or footstool, removing loose carpets and rugs, and arranging your necessities for easy access (preferably on the first floor).

• Arrange with a family member, friend, or social worker to assist with household tasks, driving, and errands.

• Closely follow your prescribed physical therapy; this will likely include movement restoration, muscle-building exercises, and stretching.

• Maintain a balanced diet.

Learn More About Total Knee Replacement Procedures on the Lower East Side

No two patients or conditions are alike, and every patient’s recovery experience following a total knee replacement procedure on the Lower East Side will look somewhat different. To have your questions about knee replacement surgery and the recovery period that follows answered, contact Rothman Orthopaedic Institute today. To learn more, visit us here or contact us at 1-800-321-9999.