When can I...
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Drive?
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There is no set time that deems you safe to drive again after a hip or knee replacement, and we do not provide medical clearance to drive.
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Generally speaking, it is prudent to avoid driving for at least six weeks after a joint replacement, particularly on the right leg (unless your vehicle requires you to operate a clutch on the left leg also). The best way to safely return to driving is to practice in an empty parking lot. Make believe an emergency braking situation were to arise and assess your ability to respond to it.
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Go back to work?
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Depending on your occupation, you may want to take several weeks up to several months to return to full duty. This should be a discussion between you and me as well as you and your employer.
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Discontinue blood thinning agents?
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For patients who are not taking blood thinning agents prior to hip or knee replacement surgery, a standard routine is four weeks post-operative on a baby aspirin daily.
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For patients who are on blood thinning agents, you will need to return to your usual medication regimen, through guidance of your prescribing physician and me.
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Go back to the gym?
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You may return to upper extremity acitivities as tolerated soon after your surgery.
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For lower body workouts, we should discuss your case at the follow-up visit.
Should I be concerned...
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With saturation of my surgical dressing?
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If your bandage is still sealed by the adhesive, continue to leave it on for ten days. Some saturation and bandage strikethrough is normal and no cause for concern.
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If the adhesive seal of the dressing bandage is broken, replace it with a dry gauze bandage with skin tape, and replace it daily for up to ten days. If the replacement bandages are being saturated daily, please call the office.
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With narcotic consumption?
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Yes and no. For the first week after your hip or knee replacement, you may want to take narcotic pills to alleviate surgical soreness. By the second week, you should be tapering off the number of pills you consume. Beyond two weeks after your operation, pain management needs to be supervised by your primary care physician or pain management specialist. Prolonged narcotic use can be dangerous and put you at risk for tolerance, dependence, and overdose.
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With fever?
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Fever - temperature greater than 100.4F (38 C) - in the first several days after surgery is commonly caused by atelectasis, or microscopic collapse of the airsacs in your lungs. Easy remedies include use of incentive spirometry and deep breathing techniques.
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Other common causes of post-operative fever include urinary tract infection, surgical site infection, and blood clots, which require medical attention.
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With increasing pain?
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Increasing pain is out of the ordinary, and should be communicated to our office.
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The only situation in which increased pain may be normal is in response to increased physical activity. If you have not increased your level of activity but are experiencing worsening pain, call our office.
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With increasing redness?
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Some amount of redness around your incision is normal.
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If the redness is increasing, particularly if it is accompanied by increasing pain, call our office.