A Knee Replacement Surgery is one of the most important operative procedures that is aimed at alleviating limited mobility and pain in the knees and restoring mobility to patients. Before opting for this type of surgery, it is important to know the things that can be expected during the process of recovery. Here are 4 important stages involved in this type of operation.
Post-surgery period in hospital
After Knee Replacement surgery, recovery begins immediately. Many patients have to remain in the hospital for a couple of days after the process. Hospital staffs generally offer medicines to alleviate pain, and they also like to restore mobility to knee joint. It begins minimally, even when the leg just dangles from the bed. Such type of mobility is important for beginning the process of recovery.
Recuperation at home
With a brief hospital stay after a major surgery such as this, the process of recovery will be at home actually. After you come back to the general routine, you have to practice stability and balance. Basic tasks such as sitting, standing, taking a bath, moving between rooms etc are involved in the recuperative process.
Outpatient Physical Therapy
Doctors often prescribe outpatient physical therapy to patients, to assist in knee joint rehabilitation. Therapists begin with increasing mobility over a period. At times, they can also advise carrying out some workouts at home with no help from a therapist. Generally, this is when you move ahead with outpatient therapy and can carry out strict movements safely, on your own.
Physical Activity and Workouts
In the stage of recovery, the ultimate step is to reincorporate into a standard workout regimen, and participating in your usual physical activities. It is generally advised around 8 to 12 weeks following such an operative procedure. This is generally the amount of time taken to find stability in your knee again. Although you might be given the nod to get back to standard workout habits, your joint does not generally get recovered completely for as long as 1 year following an operation. Thus, you would like to exercise caution for a long time.
All these 4 stages constitute the recovery process after replacement surgery for knees. Expert orthopedic surgeons inform patients about what should be expected during, prior to and after any such operative process. It helps cure the anxiety sensations related to this kind of surgery, as well as get ready for what lies ahead.