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Discharge Instructions: Total Knee Replacement

EXERCISES
It is very important to continue the exercises you have been doing in the hospital at home. These exercises will help you achieve the goals that you and Dr. Gill want from your total knee replacement. You should continue to do these exercises for at least 6 weeks after dismissal from the hospital.
1. Range of motion: bending, straightening, and stretching your knee. Do these while lying in bed or sitting up in a chair 10 times every hour.
  1. Bending - try to maintain 110 degrees.
  2. Muscle Strengthening - lift your straight leg as high as you can frequently.
  3. Stretching - extend your straight leg straight out in front of you and press gently down on the knee to stretch the back of your knee. The hardest thing to correct is called a Flexion Contracture. This is when you cannot straighten your knee to 0 degrees, which is when your leg is totally flat. You must try to flatten your leg.
2. Foot Pumping - continue doing these 10 times every hour.
3. Breathing exercises with your Incentive Spirometer - inhale to raise the white disk as high as you can. Do this 10 times every hour.
4. Walking 3-4 times a day at least 2000 feet with your walker.
INCISION CARE
Your incision may still have the staples in it when you go home. Keep your incision clean and dry at all times. The incision needs to be cleaned with alcohol 3-4 times per day. Use alcohol squares or rubbing alcohol. After the staples are removed and the steri-strips are on your incision, leave them on for two weeks. (Do not shower if there is any drainage coming from your incision.) You may shower when the drainage has stopped. Clean your incision with alcohol after showering. Your leg may appear to be discolored or look blue. This is due to bleeding under the skin and it usually clears up in 4-6 weeks. This is normal and you should not worry about the color.
MEDICATIONS
1. Antibiotics
  You will need to have this prescription filled and keep them on hand at all times for the next 2 years. Take them only if you experience signs or symptoms of infection such as:
2. Pain Pills
  Take your pain pills as directed and only when you need them.
3. Iron Supplement
  Buy some Geritol or any over-the-counter iron supplement and take one a day for 6 weeks. Stop taking them if you have any adverse reactions. If you are not able to tolerate iron pills, then eat foods that are rich in iron, as shown in the list provided.
4. Aspirin
  Take one Aspirin twice a day. DO NOT take aspirin if you are taking a blood thinner, such as Coumadin, Lovenox, or Heparin.
5. Dental Work
  Take one antibiotic pill two hours before your appointment and then one antibiotic pill two hours after your appointment for the first two years after your surgery. If you have an infection in your mouth, the antibiotics should be taken as directed on the bottle for 5-6 days. If infection develops, please contact your medical doctor or your dentist.

KEEP DOING YOUR EXERCISES!!!

Always elevate your leg after you have been up for a long while. Elevate the foot of your bed with 6 inch blocks. This helps to reduce the swelling. Do not place pillows directly under your knee.

Continue to wear your TED stockings on both legs for 6 weeks. You may remove them every 4-6 hours for 1 hour.

Do not drive for at least 6 weeks or until you see Dr. Gill in the office and he tells you otherwise.

If you have questions, you may call Dr. Gill's office 797-9119

EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO MAKE ALL FOLLOW-UP APPOINTMENTS!!!!

Gurdev S. Gill, M.D. | 3601 22nd Place
Lubbock, Texas 79410
Tel: 806-797-9119 | Fax: 806-797-7669