What to expect from the day of surgery to the time of discharge?

Total Knee replacement is a painful surgical procedure. Your surgeon will give you pain medications and you will either have an epidural or femoral nerve catheter to manage your pain for the first 48 hours. Many surgeons use a drain (to collect blood from your knee) that will be removed within 48 hours. Some surgeons use a Foley catheter so that you are not troubled with difficulty to pass urine, which will again be removed by 48 hours.

By the time of discharge, you should be able to

• get in and out of bed and perform transfers
• walk at least 25 steps and be able to climb 8-12 stairs with walking aids or assistance
• achieve a 90-degree bending of the knee so that you will be able to sit and stand freely

What to expect for the first six weeks after total knee replacement?

Immediately after discharge most patients will be able to tolerate the pain with oral pain medications only and sometimes your surgeon might consider using a skin patch for pain relief

• Swelling at the ankles are common and typically can last 6-12 weeks after a knee replacement
• Sleep disturbance and loss of appetite generally settles in 6 weeks. Most patients feel that there is change of sleep pattern and difficulty to fall asleep at night for the first 6 weeks after a knee replacement. Loss of appetite could be challenging and is advisable to take small frequent meals.
• Some surgeons prescribe either aspirin or other blood thinners to prevent your blood from clotting in your calf veins.

What sports are advisable after a total knee replacement?

You should avoid high impact activities like jogging, skipping or any sports that involve contact or jumping. It is ok to participate in low impact activity like brisk walk, cycling, golfing or swimming.