Whether you’ve already had orthopedic surgery or you’re getting prepared to have it, it’s important to know how to be safe during your recovery period after the surgery. There are five major do’s and don’ts that you need to be aware of after your orthopedic surgery. Read on to find out what these do’s and dont’s are and how you can ensure a safe recovery after your surgery.
Do watch out for any signs of infection
Signs of infection include a fever over 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, redness and swelling around the incision, oozing of puss from the incision and failure of the incision to heal. If you notice any or all of these signs or symptoms, it’s important to contact your surgeon or primary care physician as soon as possible. It could lead to severe complications and failure to heal.
Don’t stop taking antibiotics early
Antibiotics are important in preventing post-surgical infection and ensuring proper healing. This is especially important in patients who receive artificial joints or have comorbidities such as diabetes, immunodeficiency disorders or those taking immunosuppressive medications. Be sure to always complete the entire prescription because if you stop early bacteria have the ability to become resistant to antibiotics leading to superinfection.
Do eat healthily and drink plenty of water
Eating all of your necessary vitamins and mineral while staying hydrated will allow your body to have all the nutrients it needs to heal itself. Malnutrition impedes your body’s natural ability to heal itself and can prolong your recovery time. Food such as dark, leafy vegetables, lean proteins, fish and antioxidant rich fruits strengthen your body’s immunity while possibly lowering risk of post-surgical complications.
Don’t smoke anything
Tobacco smoking increases your risk of blood clots. After major surgeries, one of the most common and serious complications is deep vein thrombosis or DVT. These blood clots, or DVTs, can dislodge and travel to your lungs causing a pulmonary embolism. This is a serious complication and can be fatal.
Do get your body moving
It used to be thought that prolonged rest is good after surgery because it lets the body heal. Current research shows sitting for long periods of time after surgery can do more harm than good. Lying around causes your blood to become static and have a high potential for clotting which can lead to DVTs and pulmonary embolism. Moving and weight bearing immediately too soon after surgery can help with joining stability by strengthening tendons and ligaments by supporting new artificial joints.
Don’t participate in sports
Even though it’s important to move as soon as possible after surgery, participating in sports can be very dangerous in someone who has just undergone orthopedic surgery. Contact sports can lead to more injury in the healing joints. Twisting motions and moving heavy objects puts more strain on the bone and joints, causing refracturing and dislocation. It could prolong healing times and cause the need for more surgery.
Do attend follow up appointments with your doctor
Your doctor needs to monitor your healing progress. The doctor can screen for infection, rejection of joint replacement and the healing of your incision. Missing a doctor’s appointment can result in missing out on learning about complications happening without your knowledge. Your doctor will be able to give you the most reliable medical advice and is solely responsible when providing information about when to tell you to start your daily activity again. They are also responsible for prescribing medications and other devices to help your healing like crutches.
Don’t ignore red flags from your body
Your body will most likely be experiencing pain and discomfort after surgery. This might be normal but immense pain that is not controlled can indicate a major complication in your body. Profuse sweating, redness, swelling or skin changes can also indicate severe complications that will cause problems in the future. Surgeries are extremely invasive and it’s not uncommon to have deep-seeded infection in the joint. Sometimes the first symptom will feel like you have the flu because you might be experiencing bacteremia which is a blood infection in your entire body. If you don’t seek medical attention immediately this can progress to septic shock, which is fatal.
Do make sure your home is post-surgery safe
Having a supply of anti-bacterial soap, healthy meals, hand sanitizer, comfy clothes, over the counter remedies, a collection of entertainment devices and a list of emergency contact will help you cope with your surgery at home. If you live in a home with stairs and a bedroom and bathroom not on the first floor, be sure to have accommodations ready to get yourself up the stairs when you get home from surgery. Make sure you find out the best way to bathe while recovering and if you’re able to shower, you might need to purchase a shower seat. Your goal should be to stay on one floor while you recover from surgery. Be sure to have a friend or family member come check on you regularly and make sure you are doing alright. Also, having company will make you feel less lonely while you’re stuck at home.
Don’t rely too heavily on pain medication
Your primary care physician can prescribe you a daily pain medication and a medication for breakthrough pain which is pain that’s not covered by your daily medication. Pain medications are usually, but not always, opiate-based. When used in excess, these medications can cause tolerance or your body’s ability to not respond to the effects. This will soon lead to a need for an increase in your doses to feel the effects from the medication. The higher the dose you take, the higher the risk for adverse effects, such as constipation, fatigue, respiratory depression and even a coma. It’s also important to know that many of these medications might be highly addictive and if you have a history of substance abuse it’s important to notify your physician so they can prescribe you an effective medication that is not addictive. Depending on your specific surgery, how best to care for yourself will vary. OSI is here to help guide you, and we offer comprehensive aftercare following your surgery. For more info on self care post surgery, contact the knee doctor Ft. Lauderdale experts at OSI today.