Knee

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www.ohioorthopaedics.com

Thank you for choosing Ohio Orthopaedics to take care of your surgical needs.   We wish to provide the best Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Surgical care in Northwest Ohio for you and your family.  This requires motivated patients, dedicated therapists, and meticulous surgery to make this happen.  The better your understanding about what we expect, the sooner we can achieve our goals to get you back to your expected lifestyle or occupation.  This sheet provides valuable information to make your surgery more successful and less stressful.  After reading this sheet entirely please ask any questions you have or call the office to clarify anything.   We wish to communicate better with our patients to achieve a common goal!

Prior to Surgery

• Arrange to see a physical therapist prior to your surgery.  Your physician and his office staff will arrange a visit for you at an appropriate facility.  This visit will provide you with valuable information about your rehabilitation immediately following surgery and equipment you will need for your recovery.
• Shower normally the evening or morning prior to your surgery.  Do not apply any lotions, make-up, or perfumes to the operative area prior to your surgery.  Do not shave any areas the day of your surgery; if this is required, surgery personnel will do it.
• If you develop any rashes, cuts, burns on the affected leg prior to surgery, let the office know by phone in advance of your surgery date.
• Do not have anything to eat or drink after midnight prior to you surgery unless given specific instructions to do so.  You may have a sip of water with any scheduled heart, blood pressure, thyroid or breathing medication.  Take this at the time you normally take it.  Do not take your regularly scheduled Diabetes medication unless specifically instructed by your medical doctor or surgeon.
• If you in any way feel sick (cold, flu, infections) let our office know in advance so that arrangements can be made to reschedule if necessary.

Day of Surgery

• Arrive an (1) hour ahead of surgery for the Findlay Surgery Center (2 hours ahead for Blanchard Valley, Tiffin Mercy, or Fostoria Community Hospitals).

• Bring all equipment (braces, crutches, cooler, etc.) obtained from your therapist to your surgery.  Let surgery personnel know you have these already!

• Let our office know where we can reach you at all times the day of your surgery.  Schedules change with cancellations and delays which may make it necessary to adjust your surgery time.
• Do not wear jewelry on the leg that we will be operating on.  This will only require more administrative time to provide safekeeping during your surgery.
• Take medications as instructed above.

§          Bring this instruction sheet with you at the time of your surgery!

After Surgery

• Pain control- Be certain to take prescribed pain medication as instructed.  Do not supplement the pain medication with Tylenol (acetaminophen), since many narcotic pain medications have this already in them.  Resume anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen after your surgery, which will better supplement your prescribed pain medication.  Begin taking your pain medication at the first hint of pain.  Any delays may make pain difficult to relieve later.
• If you have a pain pump, make sure that it is secured to your brace, and that the catheter is taped to your thigh, so that it is not pulled inadvertently brushing against something.   Once the canister is empty (plunger at zero) on day 2 after your surgery (usually the case), the catheter can be removed with gentle traction.  Throw the device into any trashcan.  It does not require special disposal.
• Eat lightly for 24 hours after your surgery.  Nausea is common because of pain, anesthetic agents, and pain medications.  Pain medications are better tolerated with something small on your stomach rather than on an empty stomach.  Try a variety of fluids after surgery (water, sports drinks, clear pop, jello).  Fluids are the most important after surgery, not food; dehydration (not starvation) is a common cause of readmission after surgery.  Avoid it!
• You do not need antibiotics at home after your surgery.  Longer acting and more potent antibiotics were given at the time of your surgery, which will cover you afterwards.
• Use your cooling device as instructed or an ice bag for 48 hours after your surgery.  It can be used longer if desired after that.  Ice bags are best-used 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off.  Do not sleep with an ice bag on; it can cause nerve damage with prolonged chilling.  For cooling devices be sure to adjust the temperature within the safe range.  Do not attempt to modify/cut the knee sleeve; once a hole is in the sleeve it will not recirculate water and will leak. 
• Remove the bandage 2 days after your surgery.  Leave sutures and butterfly strips alone until seeing your physician in the office.  Recover with a dry gauze pad and tape (available at any drug store).
• Call 424-0131 (436-0996 in Fostoria, 448-7424 in Tiffin) to make a follow-up appointment at the specified interval.  This should be done the first business day after your surgery.
• Keep the incision(s) dry.  You may shower by covering the incision with Saran Wrap (wrap around the knee).  Baths are allowed but the knee may not be soaked.  Cover your incision with a band-aid or dry gauze.  Do not use antibiotic ointments unless specified.  Re-wrap the knee with your Ace wrap.  Keep the Ace wrap on at all times until seeing your physician in follow-up to keep swelling to a minimum.
• If you are in a knee brace, remain in the knee brace until instructed not to do so by your physician or your therapist.  While ambulating the brace should be locked in extension to prevent the knee from giving way.
• Unless otherwise instructed, you may fully weight-bear on the leg with crutches, a walker, or a cane starting the day of your surgery.  Restrict activity to meal and bathroom privileges only the first 2 days stressing elevation, not weight-bearing.
• Starting the day after your surgery, you should do your exercises at least 3 times a day for 15 minutes at a time.  These exercises should include:
• Straight leg raise
• Quad sets
• Heel slide
• Knee extension
• Calf pumps

Your therapist will demonstrate these exercises to you.

• Sleep with the knee/leg elevated the first few days after your surgery.  This will keep your knee above your heart and reduce throbbing.
• If necessary (ACL reconstruction patients and some others) start Physical Therapy five (5) days after your surgery.  You may set up this visit at the time of your preoperative consultation or the day after your surgery.  Be sure to schedule this date in advance.
• Understand your precautions prior to your surgery to protect what we have repaired.  Patients undergoing meniscus repair may not weight-bear for four weeks for example.  Please discuss these precautions with your physician or your therapist for a full understanding.
• Any unexplained pain, swelling, redness, cloudy drainage, bleeding, wound separation, or fevers should be reported to your physician as soon as possible.  Certain amounts of redness around sutures or clear red or pink drainage is common after surgery, however, any concerning findings should be brought to our attention.
• Any questions or problems can be taken care of 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by calling (419) 424-0131.  A covering physician for Ohio Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine, Inc. can address these issues any time that they arise.  Patients are encouraged, if at all possible, to call Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm to leave a message for your physician for non-emergent problems.  Your physician will be happy to return your call to discuss your question or problem.

Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or problems.  We realize people do not go through surgery every day, but sometimes assume incorrectly what all patients know or understand.  We use these instructions to better communicate with you and provide a handy reference for valuable information to make your surgery very successful.

Bring this instruction sheet with you at the time of your surgery with any questions written in the space below!