Aftercare
Following surgery, you are able to return home when your pain is well under control, and you can walk safely. You may need crutches or a walking aid on discharge.
You may not drive in the first 24 hours following your surgery, and often longer while you still have soreness or restriction of motion around your knee. Please make sure you have a plan for transport home.
Some patients will need rehabilitation following surgery. This involves physiotherapy and mobility exercises to allow a faster return to function. The aim of this is to give a patient enough function to be able to cope in their home environment. Typically this would be for 1-2 weeks.
The aims of follow-up are to:
- Ensure proper healing of the surgical site
- Measure your progress
- Ensure the limb returns to normal function and you have a good outcome
I will see you 10-14 days after surgery to check your surgical wound. This should be healed and dry by this time. We will discuss the surgical procedure and its findings and review any intraoperative video or x-rays so that you can understand the surgery better.
I will see you next usually around 6-8 weeks after the surgery, at which time things have healed strongly enough to commence more vigorous physiotherapy. By this stage your movement should be nearly normal.
We will then continue to meet as required until maximal improvement has been achieved.
If you have any concerns in the interim, please contact us urgently via enquiries@drbalalla.com.au. If you are able, an emailed photograph of the problem would be very helpful.
You will be sent mailed or emailed questionnaires to assess your progress over the months and years. This helps us evaluate our treatment in patients with your condition, and refine our surgery.
Patients having a joint replacement will need to have a yearly or second-yearly x-ray and review to monitor the replacement and to identify any problems.
IMPORTANT: Patients with a joint replacement having dental procedures, endoscopy, or any surgery (major or minor) should have oral antibiotic cover prior to their procedure. This is to prevent the potential of blood borne bacteria circulating and settling within the joint replacement and causing catastrophic infection. The standard antibiotic regime is Amoxycillin 2g orally 1 hour prior to surgery.
