Knee replacement surgery works best when the patient has a good recovery and rehabilitation plan. A recovery and rehabilitation plan can assist the patient by:
• Leave the hospital sooner
• Regain knee strength and range of motion quickly
• Return to independent living sooner
• Avoiding potential complications
Knee replacement patients can usually leave the hospital within 1–5 days (often 2–3), and they can take care of themselves and resume most activities 6 weeks after surgery. Most patients are 90% recovered after 3 months, though it can take 6 months or longer to reach 100% recovery.
Some knee replacement patients do not follow the typical recovery timeline. For instance:
Patients who did knee-strengthening exercises before surgery may recover faster.
It is not always possible to predict when a patient will not follow the “typical” timeline for recovery. However, as long as the patient, doctor, and physical therapist work together toward a full recovery, these differences are usually fine.
The First 24 Hours Following Knee Replacement Surgery
After surgery, the person will wake up from the anesthesia and feel their legs again. Doctors will treat pain in advance by combining pain-relief methods that complement each other and minimize side effects, a method known as “multimodal analgesia.”
If the pain is under control within 24 hours, the patient may be asked to stand up and take a few steps with the assistance of a physical therapist and a walker. Patients who get up & bear some weight on their new knees soon after surgery recover faster than those who do not.
Continuous Passive Motion (CPM) Machines
After surgery, some doctors recommend continuous passive motion (CPM) machines. While the patient is lying on their back, a CPM machine slowly moves the affected leg, causing it to straighten and bend repeatedly. The patient may use a CPM machine for up to 9 hours per day between sleeping and physical therapy.
There is evidence that CPM machines help patients get their range of motion back faster, which can help them get out of the hospital faster. Some patients have also been prescribed CPM machines temporarily at home after discharge.
Even though CPM machines help patients become more flexible, there is no clear evidence that using them changes the risk of DVT or the knee’s long-term range of motion or function.
How Much Weight Can Be Placed on the New Knee?
Weight-bearing guidelines are given to knee replacement patients at home and in the home. The amount of pressure the new knee can handle at first will depend on things like:
• The type of surgery performed (e.g., total replacement vs. one-sided knee replacement)
• The type of prosthesis and how it is attached to the natural bone
• The patient’s natural bone condition.
Patients will be asked to put more weight on the new knee over time incrementally.
When Can a Patient With a Knee Replacement Leave the Hospital?
Most people with knee replacements will be sent home when their pain is gone, and they can:
• Get in & out of bed and walk short distances with a walker or crutches.
• Get in and out of bed, as well as up and down the stairs
• Bend the knee 90 degrees.
• Take precautions to avoid injuring the new knee.
Discharge criteria can vary depending on the patient & the hospital’s policy. Some hospitals, for example, may only allow the patient to bend the knee to 80 degrees.
Patients meet the criteria for discharge after only one or two days. People with two knees replaced at the same time that have certain pre-existing medical conditions, uncontrolled pain, or general weakness may be kept in the hospital for longer.
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