Knee Replacement Surgery Discharge Information

What is knee replacement surgery?

The knee is a large joint that joins your thigh bone (femur) with your shin bone (tibia). The kneecap (patella) and the smaller bone in your lower leg (fibula) are also part of this joint. Tendons connect your leg muscles to the knee bones so that the joint can move. Ligaments connect the bones of the joint to one another and give the knee stability. The cartilage and fluid-filled sacs in the joint help the knee move smoothly.

The most common cause for knee replacement is severe pain, often from arthritis. The surgery is done to remove a painful, broken, or diseased knee joint and replace it with an artificial knee joint.

How can I take care of myself when I go home?

How long it takes to get better depends on how well you recover, your overall health, and any complications you may have.

Management

• Your provider will give you a list of your medicines when you leave the hospital.
  • Know your medicines. Know what they look like, how much you should take each time, how often you should take them, and why you take each one.
  • Take your medicines exactly as your provider tells you to.
  • Carry a list of your medicines in your wallet or purse. Include any nonprescription medicines and supplements on the list.
  • Talk to your provider before you use any other medicines, including nonprescription medicines.
• Your provider may prescribe medicine to:
  • Treat pain
  • Treat or prevent an infection
  • Treat or prevent side effects, such as nausea or constipation, from other treatments
  • Treat or prevent blood clots
  • Help build bone and prevent bone loss
• Your provider may recommend other types of therapy to help relieve pain, other symptoms, or side effects of treatment.
• You may need to continue a rehabilitation program after you leave the hospital to help you recover from knee replacement surgery. Most rehabilitation programs include:
  • Physical therapy to help you regain muscle strength and teach you ways to move safely
  • Occupational therapy to help you relearn safe ways to do the tasks that you did before your knee replacement surgery
• To care for your surgical wound:
  • Keep your surgical wound clean.
  • If you are told to change the dressing on your surgical wound, wash your hands before changing the dressing and after disposing of the dressing.
• Follow activity restrictions, such as not driving or operating machinery, as recommended by your healthcare provider or pharmacist, especially if you are taking pain medicines.
• Find someone to help you with your activities for a time after you go home.
• Make your home safe to prevent injury and help you heal. This may include:
  • Removing throw rugs from the floors to prevent tripping
  • Installing hand rails or grab bars in showers or other areas where you may slip
• Take care of your health. Try to get at least 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. Eat a healthy diet and try to keep a healthy weight. If you smoke, try to quit. If you want to drink alcohol, ask your healthcare provider how much is safe for you to drink. Learn ways to manage stress. Exercise according to your healthcare provider's instructions.

Appointments

• Follow your provider's instructions for follow-up appointments.
• Keep appointments for any testing you may need.

Talk with your provider about any questions or concerns you have.

Call emergency medical services or 911 if you have new or worsening:

• If you are taking medicine to prevent blood clots, unusual or unexpected bleeding, including:
  • Bleeding from your ears or nose
  • Black, tarry bowel movements or blood in your bowel movement
  • Blood in your urine or red or brown colored urine
  • Blood in your vomit or dark, brown or black material in your vomit that looks like coffee grounds
  • Coughing up blood

Call your healthcare provider if you have new or worsening:

• Pain that is not controlled with your medicines
• Signs of infection around your surgical wound. These include:
  • The area around your wound is more red or painful
  • Your wound area is very warm to touch
  • You have blood, pus, or other fluid coming from the wound area
  • You have a fever higher than 101.5° F (38.6° C)
  • You have chills or muscle aches
• Coldness or change in color of the skin of your leg, ankle, or foot on the side of your knee replacement
• Warmth, redness, swelling or pain in either leg
• If you are taking medicine to prevent blood clots, new bruises or severe bruising