Medications:
- You can take all your medicines that you were taking before your procedure. Do NOT drink alcohol before, during, or after the surgery while taking pain medication.
- Also take the new medications you were given after your procedure. Be sure to follow the instructions for how to take your medicines. These instructions usually include what time of the day to take your medicines and whether to take them during a meal or on an empty stomach.
- For Pain: It is OK to take Tylenol (acetaminophen) or Advil (Ibuprofen) for mild pain. No Aspirin or Aspirin Products. Extra Strength Tylenol if needed. If this is not enough, you may take your prescribed pain medicine. DO NOT take Tylenol (acetaminophen) at the same time as taking your prescription pain medicine.
- For Constipation: Prescription pain medicines frequently cause constipation. This means it can be hard to use the restroom. You may take over-the-counter stool softeners to help prevent this problem.
- For Birth Control: Certain birth control products work by changing body chemicals called hormones. Some examples include Birth Control Pills, Skin Patches, Implants, and certain IUDs. The medicines you may have received while in the hospital can stop those birth control products from working. To avoid getting pregnant, use an additional birth control product that does not affect your hormones. Some examples include condoms and spermicides. Use these additional products for the next 31 days if you wish to avoid becoming pregnant.
Eating and Drinking:
- Resume usual diet as tolerated. Start with liquids first, if you aren’t nauseated, you may advance your diet. No alcoholic beverages today.
What to Expect During this Time:
- It is normal to have a slightly sore throat for a few days following your procedure. This should go away within 24-48 hours. You may use a throat lozenge or cough drop for temporary relief.
- Having surgery may cause temporary body aches, tiredness, nausea, and light-headedness. These should also go away within 24-48 hours after surgery.
- For your procedure, an IV was inserted into your arm or another part of your body. It is normal to see bruising where the IV was placed. If you have swelling or discomfort, a cold compress may be helpful. If you develop redness, warmth, or oozing where the IV was placed, please contact your physician.
- The medicines you received during your procedure may slow your ability to think and react. Do not drive anything, operate machinery, or sign important legal documents today.
What to Expect During this Time:
- Rest today. Return to work/school per surgeon.
- Apply Cryocuff to the operative knee for nom ore than 20 minutes at a time and repeat every 2 hours as needed.
- Elevate to the level of the waist/above the heart to the extent possible.
- Weight bearing as tolerated with crutches unless told otherwise by surgeon. If the anesthesiologist performed a nerve block before your surgery, a knee immobilizer will be place on your operative leg following your procedure. You MUST wear the knee immobilizer AT ALL TIME, including sleep, until your physical therapist releases you to discontinue it. The nerve block inhibits your quads (thigh muscles) from working properly allowing your knee to buckle and can cause you to fall. The knee immobilizer must be worn at all time until those muscles regain normal function to prevent a fall, which can damage your newly reconstructed ACL. You may open the knee immobilizer to apply cryocuff and then reapply immediately upon completion of icing. Begin knee range of motion exercises, bending and straightening the knee, and ankle pumps immediately. Gradually increase until you have full range of motion.
- Activity as tolerated. It is recommended to use crutches at all times until your physical therapist releases you to discontinue them.
- Leave the operative dressings and ace wrap in place. You will be given an appointment for physical therapy approximately 5-7 days following your procedure. During this appointment, you will have your first dressing change. After this appointment, you may perform daily dressing changes as needed. DO NOT get incisions wet until sutures are removed. Sutures are generally removed in the surgeon’s office approximately 12 days following your procedure.
- You may shower after sutures are removed.
- A nurse will call you in the next few days to discuss your recovery and answer any questions you may have. If you have questions before our nurse calls, please contact your physician or call MHP Surgical Care (317-398-1226) to speak with one of our nurses. After hours, you may call the MHP Medical Center (317-392-3211).
What’s Normal?
Some swelling and pain, and clear drainage on the bandage.
Remember you have just had surgery ~ if it hurt’s DON’T DO IT!