General Postoperative Instructions:
- Regularly elevate and ice the operated limb for about ten days. Use an ice pack or simply a bag of frozen peas. Be careful not to wet the dressing.
- Take the medication exactly as prescribed. Any change by another doctor must be reported to your surgeon.
- Pain is more difficult to control once it has fully developed. Therefore, do not delay taking your painkillers (analgesics) once it starts to appear, while respecting the prescribed dose and frequency limits.
- If your pain medication is not sufficient to relieve you, please notify me.
- Redress the wound according to the modalities clearly specified on your postoperative prescriptions. You should inform your surgeon of any dressing protocol changes recommended by your nurse.
- For body washing or showering, use a perfectly waterproof protection around the operated limb. If perfect waterproofing is not guaranteed, do not shower and limit yourself to a “sponge bath.” Non-sterile water running over the scar can be a source of infection, even if the nurse plans to change your dressing immediately afterward.
- 3 weeks postoperatively, if the appearance of the scar is satisfactory, you can remove the dressing and leave the scar exposed to air. You may take showers freely, but without scrubbing the scar. After showering, pat dry with a clean cloth.
- Baths are prohibited for the first 6 weeks postoperatively.
- Ask your physiotherapist to teach you some simple exercises that you can do at home. In general, you will not see your physiotherapist more than 5 hours per week. The bulk of your rehabilitation will therefore be your regular work at home, daily, several times a day, while respecting mobility restrictions. Regular mobilization also helps to speed up the reduction of swelling.
- Compression stockings or socks should be worn on both sides (if possible) until full weight-bearing and walking several times a day are resumed.
- Swelling at or below the site of surgery may take several weeks or even months to disappear.
➜ Do not hesitate to contact me quickly or to present yourself to an emergency service if:
- Excessive pain, redness, warmth, swelling, or tension around the surgical site.
- Scar discharge beyond the 5th postoperative day.
- Fever > 38.5°C (101.3°F), especially if beyond the 5th postoperative day.
- Pain, redness, warmth in the calf or thigh, whether on the operated side or the opposite side.
- Chest pain or shortness of breath.