A knee surgery is an invasive surgery that requires weeks of recovery. It is painful for the patient and inconvenient but it is not completely debilitating. After speaking to a knee specialist, Fox Valley residents can live a life similar to before the surgery but with a few limitations. If you have a loved one going through this procedure, here are a few ways you can help.
1. Give Them Support and Encouragement
This surgery is extremely painful and will require the patient to stay in the hospital for several days following the operation. While they will be able to move around with the help of a walker, they will be slow, tired, and in pain. One of the best things you can do is to remind your family member or friend that recovery will take time but they have the power to get through it.
2. Clear Pathways Around their Home
Once your family member is home, they should regularly get up and move their body. They should be able to walk with the help of a device such as crutches or a walker. Make sure that the pathways in the family member’s house are large enough and cleared so they can walk with few worries. They need to be able to move around the house easily and without any worries of falling or stumbling.
3. Drive them To Physical Therapist Appointments
One limitation following the surgery is the patient cannot drive. This means that they will need a ride to and from their physical therapist appointments. These physical therapist appointments are vital as they help strengthen the knee, create a faster and more successful recovery, and help recover full range of motion.
4. Monitor Medication
Following this intense surgery, your loved one will need some strong medication to help control the pain. In many cases, they may need assistance from someone else to make sure they stay on top of the pain and to prevent taking too much medication at once. Additionally, they will not want to miss any medications for fear the pain becomes too difficult to bear. The pain will eventually subside and monitoring the medications will not be as crucial a week or more after the surgery.
While this surgery will not cause your loved one to be bedridden for several weeks, recovery can still be challenging and your loved one will need some assistance to help them around their home and with many appointments they must attend. However, keep in mind that by following the doctor’s orders, the recovery process can be quick and your loved one will be up and moving on their own soon.
Starting Your Knee Replacement Journey
Get started by requesting a consultation with one of the knee replacement specialists at the Orthopedic & Sports Institute (OSI). Please call (920) 560-1000 or request an appointment online. OSI is Northeast Wisconsin’s exclusive provider of Mako Robotic-Arm Assisted Surgery for Hips & Knees. Find out if robotic surgery is right for you.
OSI has convenient locations to serve you. The campus in Appleton includes a clinics, a surgery center, MRI, physical therapy, and a skilled nursing facility, as well as a walk-in clinic that provides care for new orthopedic injuries.
OSI has outreach clinics in New London, Ripon, Shawano, Waupaca, and the newest location serving the Green Bay area, inside the NOVO Health Clinic in De Pere.
OSI is a proud member of NOVO Health.