How To Manage Swelling, Pain, And Bruising After Undergoing Total Knee Replacement Surgery
Knee replacement at the best orthopedic hospital in Ghaziabad, Santosh Hospitals, is a common occurrence nowadays and you will find hundreds and thousands of happy patients undergoing successful surgery.
But a successful knee replacement surgery can only be truly successful when the post-operative phase is rightly managed. Patients undergoing knee replacement surgery experience excruciating pain during the post-operative recovery duration. Some people might experience swelling, pain, and even bruising but that is a part and parcel of the process; the scar tissue in the knee can take more than two years to heal itself post-operation.
For proper management after the total knee replacement surgery, the first and foremost thing is you must understand and pay attention to your operated knee.
So how will you manage it? Well, let us find out below.
How to manage the pain after surgery?
You might experience agonizing pain and the pain generally happens due to bruising. Most people are prescribed oral painkillers to relieve the pain. Some drugs are ibuprofen or naproxen but before taking any medicine talk to your doctor. In the case of excruciating pain, doctors go for pain killers like Tramadol (Ultram) or Oxydone. Massage and exercises can help a lot in dealing with the pain; your physiotherapist can alleviate your pain with massages. With time the pain will gradually subside and your knee will become strong. Choose the best knee replacement hospital in Ghaziabad, for total knee replacement surgery and get precise assistance regarding the processes that need to be followed to recover fast after the operation.
Dealing with the swelling
Immediately after the operation, you will notice swelling within say days or weeks around the ankle and foot. This swelling might persist for around 3 to 6 months but don’t be scared. The swelling will gradually subside because you must perform some regular exercises and physiotherapy sessions will keep your muscles mobile. You can place your leg on a pillow and raise it high or try to step on the stairs slowly or you can take the support of the banister and lean forward to touch your knee. Furthermore, you can opt for compression stockings, ice packs, cold compresses, and so on to relieve the swelling. The scar tissues calm down and the inflammation reduces when you apply an ice pack for at least 20 minutes on the knee and repeat the process for 3 to 4 times a day. You can apply heat compress also but don’t do it immediately after the operation wait for a few weeks. In case you still feel the swelling is there or the stiffness is aggravating or there is any sign of infection then consult your doctor then and there.
How to manage the bruises?
Blood clots start showing up and give your skin a reddish-purple tinge, this is called bruising. Just after the operation medicines are given to make the blood thin and that is how deep vein thrombosis is avoided. Bruising is a very common occurrence and it fades with time when your knees start to become stronger and you start walking. You can experience tenderness around the knees which is induced by the bruising. There is nothing to panic, you can raise your legs and perform the regular exercises to stop any further bruising. Bruising generally persists up to approximately 3 weeks after the surgery.
For successful knee replacement operation, the role that your surgeon and hospital play is supremely important. So make sure that you rely on nothing but the best knee replacement hospital in NCR Delhi like Santosh Hospitals. With their world-class services and the most experienced doctors in their team, you will be back on your feet in no time!