Surgery Recovery Tips from Summit Medical Center
After having an
orthopedic surgery, it’s important to listen to the discharge instructions
provided by your surgeon. While the effects of surgery are typically quite
minimal, not taking care of yourself during the recovery process can lead to
improper healing, bleeding, infection, and several other serious complications.
Here at Summit Medical Center, our team has provided you with some guidelines
to follow once you are discharged.
- Swelling – While recovering from orthopedic surgery, swelling of the area (as well as the knee, foot, thigh, and ankle) is common and can continue for several weeks following the procedure. To ease the swelling, it’s important to elevate your feet above your nose on a bed or sofa for 30 minutes each, three times a day. You can achieve this by placing three pillows underneath your legs. You may also experience bruising and blistering around the surgery area. Contact your doctor if the swelling is accompanied by any sort of pain, especially in the calf. The combination of these symptoms could be the sign of a blood clot.
- Wound Care – Keep an eye on the incision area and contact your surgeon if you experience any of the following: high fever, severe pain, and/or excessive puss or drainage.
- Pain – Regrettably, you will experience some pain as a result of the surgery. It is important to keep yourself as comfortable as possible by taking the medication prescribed by your doctor.
- Icing – Applying ice to the surgical site is a great way to reduce the amount of swelling and pain during recovery. Do this for about 20 minutes and then remove. Repeating this procedure several times a day should eliminate some of the swelling and pain.
- Follow Up Appointments – One to two weeks after your surgery, you will be required to visit your doctor for a checkup. It is important to attend this appointment so that your physician is able to assess your health and the progress of your recovery. This is a good time to ask your doctor any questions you may have regarding your regular activities (such as exercise) and when you can safely resume them.
If you have any
questions or concerns regarding your postoperative recovery, it’s important to
reach out to your orthopedic surgeon
in Oklahoma City. Our staff, including our very own orthopedic specialist and surgeon Dr.
Joel Tupper, will be able to provide you with advice and the reassurance of an
expert opinion. Further, they will be able to set up appointments for you,
should they determine that you need to be seen. Be sure to follow the doctor's
orders, pay attention to your body, and take some time to let yourself heal
after surgery.
Labels: orthopedic surgeon Oklahoma City
posted by Summit Medical Center @ 7:17 AM
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