Post-operative Care

Post-operative care Knee Surgery Recovery Knee Surgeon Melbourne

How long will I be in hospital?

Your duration of stay is determined by the complexity of the surgery, your medical background, level of pain after surgery and safety with mobility.

General guidelines regarding length of stay are provided below:

Things to watch out for

Please contact our rooms if you notice any of these things after your surgery.

  • A sudden increase in swelling, redness or warmth around the surgical site.

  • A temperature greater than 38 degrees for 12 hours or more that isn't relieved with paracetamol.

  • Excessive drainage from the wound dressings that hasn't stopped 72 hours after surgery.

  • New onset calf pain with associated swelling that isn't relieved with rest, ice and elevation.

  • Sudden onset sharp chest pain and shortness of breath.

  • Loss of mobility after a fall.

  • Worsening flexibility or an inability to bend the knee.

Driving after knee surgery

Lower limb surgery will affect your brake response time whilst driving. After your surgery, you may be prescribed strong painkillers (opioids), which may make you drowsy and impair your ability to drive safely.

A safe return to driving depends on the operation you have had. General guidelines are provided below.

  • Knee arthroscopy: 2 weeks

  • ACL reconstruction: 6 weeks

  • Osteotomy: 6 weeks

  • Knee replacement: 6 weeks

In addition to the timeframes provided above, you must be able to mobilise without gait aids (crutches, walking sticks), not be taking strong painkillers and have a good, relatively pain-free range of motion in the affected knee. You will be advised about your suitability to drive in your post-operative visits.

Flying after knee surgery

Lower limb orthopaedic surgery increases the risk of developing a blood clot in your legs (deep vein thrombosis). If this occurs, the clot can dislodge and travel to the vessels that supply your lungs (pulmonary embolus). This may result in difficulty breathing, and in rare cases, it may be fatal.

Air travel in the first 6 weeks after surgery increases the risk of deep vein thrombosis, particularly with long-haul flights (greater than 4 hours).

It is advisable to avoid air travel in the first 6 weeks post-surgery. If you do plan to fly within this period, please advise us about this during your consultation. Depending on your background, we may recommend compression stockings or blood thinners prior to boarding your flight.

In general, during air travel, make sure to get up from your seat regularly to stretch and walk around. We also suggest drinking lots of water or non-alcoholic beverages.

Your rehabilitation after knee surgery

Lower limb surgery will affect your mobility. Your safety is our priority, and you will only be discharged once you are medically stable and mobilising comfortably. You will be seen by a physiotherapist prior to discharge in order to provide you the relevant education, exercises, and mobility aids required post-operatively.

We want to be involved in your rehabilitation and will contact your regular physiotherapist to let them know the details of your operation and any post-operative instructions and restrictions. If there are concerns or questions surrounding your rehabilitation, Mr Pai is happy to communicate directly with your physiotherapist, club doctor, sports physician, or exercise physiologist.

If there are any concerns about your surgery after you are discharged, please contact the rooms during business hours. The rooms are happy to answer any of your questions and liaise with Mr Pai as needed. If there are concerns after hours, please contact the charge nurse at the private hospital where you have had your surgery, and they can contact Mr Pai directly.