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Dr. Woods Knee Surgery Discharge Instructions

WOUND CARE
There may be a slight bruising along the wound with discoloration. This bruising may also
move down into your calf ankle and foot. There may be a small amount of drainage from the
incision area.
___ Keep dressing clean, dry and in place until follow up appointment.
___ Remove dressing: ___ days, ___ physical therapy will remove. Redress if there is any
drainage.
___ Okay to shower in ___ days. Keep incision(s) dry by covering with saran wrap. If there
are steri-strips present, leave in place until follow up appointment.
___ Other:__________________________________________________________________
ACTIVITY
___ Weight bearing. ___ Full / as tolerated. ___ Partial / toe touch. ___ None
___ Use the CPM 8 hours per day at ___ degrees. Increase ___ degrees.
POST OP EXERCISES
___ Quadriceps Isometrics: With the knee in a straight position, tighten the quadriceps
muscle at the front of the thigh and straighten the knee completely. Do this at least 10-15
times per hour during the day.
___ Straight Leg Raises: While lying down on a bed, with the operative leg straight, lift the
entire leg 6-12 inches off the bed. Repeat at least 5-10 times per hour during the day.
___ Quadriceps Dips: ( or 1/3 Squats): Assume the standing position, hanging onto a door
frame for balance, and bend both knees 30-40 degrees into a limited 1-3 squat position.
The majority of your body weight can be on the non-operative leg. Rise to a standing
position with the knees straight. Repeat this exercise 10-20 times 2 or 3 times daily.
___ Other:_______________________________________________________________
DIET AND COMFORT
___ Advance your diet as you can tolerate.
___ Cold therapy for 30 minutes 3 times a day and following the above exercises.
NOTIFY YOUR PHYSICIAN FOR
___ Unusual chest or leg pain.
___ Chills of fever of 101 degrees or more.
___ Signs of infection such as redness, swelling or drainage form the incision sites.
___ Questions or problems.
MEDICATIONS
___ Resume preoperative medications.
___ You may need to take an over the counter stimulant laxative with your pain medication to
avoid constipation. Increasing your water and fiber intake will also help.
___ Take your pain pills as prescribed. Use pain pills as prescribed. Most pain medication
contains Tylenol. Check with your pharmacist so you don’t exceed the recommended amount of Tylenol in 24 hours. ___ Naproxen (Aleve) 220mg 1-2 every 8-12 hours as needed. Do not exceed 6 tablets of
Aleve in 24 hour period.
FOLLOW UP APPOINTMENT
___ Keep prior scheduled appointment. Phone (406) 721-4436 or 1-800-721-4436 to verify
appointment.
___ Routine appointment is with ___ Dr Woods; ___ Joan Bond Deschamps PA-C;
___ Peak Performance

Source: http://www.missoulaboneandjoint.com/uploads/docs/woodskneeinstr.pdf