Home Instructions for Knee Arthroscopy

 

 

You had the following procedure:

 

oLateral retinacular release                                               oMeniscal repair

oACL Reconstruction                                                         oMeniscal debridement

o Microfracture or repair of a cartilage defect                oPCL reconstruction

oOpen medial patellofemoral ligament repair                 oLoose body removal

o LCL, posterolateral corner reconstruction                    o Chondroplasty

 

General Instructions

• Apply an ice pack to your knee for the next 48-72 hours. You can use a commercially available ice pack or a bag of frozen peas or corn work just as well – just cover with a towel. Use for 15 minutes at a time, 4-5 times a day.
• Bruising or swelling may appear on your knee or leg – this is normal. Some swelling all the way down to the ankle and foot is also normal. Elevating your foot above the level of your heart helps to decrease this.
• The ace wrap around your knee helps to control swelling. If it is too tight, it is OK to remove it and apply it more loosely.
• If you have an upset stomach, take only cool, clear liquids such as Gatorade, Jell-O, Ginger ale or popsicles. If nausea persists, take phenergan which was prescribed. If you are unable to keep down any liquids after the first night of surgery, please contact my office.
• Low-grade fevers (less than 101 degrees) are common after surgery. These fevers should go away a few days after surgery as you start to move around more. If you fever persists for more than a few days, or you wounds have a large area of redness around them (more than the size of a quarter), contact my office.
• For the first 48 hours after surgery, inhale deeply and hold your breath for 3 seconds, then exhale completely. Repeat 10 times, 4 times daily.
• If you smoke, avoid cigarettes for 48 hours after surgery. This might be a good time to consider stopping altogether!
• Any prescriptions you are given after surgery should be filled immediately and taken according to the directions on the label.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• If physical therapy is required, ensure that the therapist follows the protocol for your particular procedure.
• Blood clots can occur after surgery but are uncommon. If you develop sharp calf pain or your entire leg becomes swollen, please contact our office immediately.

 

oTake an enteric coated aspirin 325mg, 1 tablet once a day with food, ideally with either breakfast or dinner. Continue to take the aspirin until you are back to your normal activity level. The best prevention of blood clots is motion.

 

The pain medication given to you can frequently cause: constipation, fatigue, nausea and itching. (If you feel you are likely to be constipated, you may take a stool softener, such as Metamucil or Citrucel). For these reasons, we recommend that you try to switch to an anti-inflammatory medicine (“NSAID”) and Tylenol for pain relief as soon as possible. NSAID’s include ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil, generic) and naproxen (Aleve) – take only one type of these with meals. Take them only if you have been able to tolerate them in the past and do not have any stomach or kidney problems.

 

Exercises

• The amount of weight that can be placed on your leg will depend on the procedure you had performed. 

 o You should be full weight bearing.

 o You are non weight bearing.

 

• Do all these exercises starting 24 hours after surgery:

► While sitting, bend and straighten your knee as far as comfort will allow – 20 repetitions every hour while awake. With the knee comfortably bend, tighten your thigh muscles hard for 3 seconds – repeat 10 times per hour.

► Pump your ankle up and down several times every hour to improve your calf circulation.

► Do straight leg raises 20-40 times, 3 times a day: Lying on your back, straighten your knee as much as possible and lift your leg 12 inches. Hold this position for as long as you can tolerate (eg. 5-10 seconds)

 

If you have a brace:

► You may undo your brace to let your knee “breath” while lying in bed or on the couch.

► When walking and sleeping, your brace must be on securely.

► You may remove it to perform your exercises.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bandages

• Your bandages may show blood stains within 1-12 hours after surgery. This is mostly fluid that was used to irrigate your knee so that we could see and work clearly, that has been tinged with blood. It is no cause for concern. Do not try to remove the dressings to look underneath them for 72 hours. If the dressings are soaked with blood within the first day or two after surgery (dark red, as opposed to pink fluid) call my office.
• Remove all bandages 72 hours after surgery and cover all wounds with Band-Aids. Larger wounds may require gauze/tape or large Band-Aids available from your pharmacy. You may shower after 3 days if your incision is dry, but do not swim, bathe, or otherwise submerge your incisions under water for 2 weeks. Make sure to replace your dressings if they get soiled or wet for the first week after surgery. Reapply dressings/Band-Aids after showering.

 

Work

• Your comfort level should be your guide for return to work.
• Do not walk or stand for excessive periods of time.
• Do not operate heavy machinery that requires pedals.
• You may start driving again once you are no longer taking narcotics, and are comfortable enough that you can hit the brake pedal hard without experiencing pain in your knee.

 

Important

• Report any complications to my office immediately. This includes excessive bleeding, wound breakdown, redness around the wounds, uncontrolled pain, or a fever over 101 degrees. Also inform us if you have significant calf swelling or you leg is turning blue or numb.
• Eat a balanced diet and get plenty of rest.

 

IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS, please call the office for further instructions: 757-827-2423 from 8am until 5pm Monday through Friday. After hours or on weekends for emergency call: 220-449