The procedure you have just undergone to the arthroscopy with anterior cruciate ligament repair. These instructions are intended as general guidelines. They may be modified due to your particular problem by your physician.
It is important, especially in the first 48 hours, that you keep your limb elevated higher than your heart as this helps reduce swelling and speeds recovery.
Your extremity is now immobilized in a knee immobilizer or postop range of motion knee brace. This should not get wet.
Danger Signals
- Severe pain;
- Fingers or toes becoming cold, purple, or numb;
- Excessive swelling of the fingers;
- Any fever greater than 101 F.
If you experience any of the above danger signals, please contact the office at 916-732-3005 or 916-732-3000.
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS / FOLLOW-UP APPOINTMENT
Follow-up Appointment/Special Instructions
- Strict elevation of operated leg
- Knee immobilizer/postop range of motion knee brace – should be set 0 to 45°, please lock the brace in extension for walking and sleeping. Please continue to where brace for the first 8 weeks following surgery.
- Ice 20-30 mins at a time 4-5 times daily
- Start range of motion of ankle immediately
- Partial weight bearing (50%) for 4 weeks with brace locked in extension.
- Keep knee extended for 2 weeks until your postop appointment.
- After elevating, ice and giving pain medications, if patient has excruciating pain to move fingers passively, then take immediately to ER, do not wait for a call.
- Do not get knee immobilizer/postop range of motion knee brace wet.
Dressing
- Please keep dressings clean dry and intact for the next three days. On postop day three after surgery, you may remove the TED hose stocking and dressings on your knee. Do not remove the tapes on your knee called Steri-Strips until 2 weeks after surgery. You may shower and get your knee wet. However, do not soak your wounds, no baths, no pools, no spas. After showering, please dry your wound and replace the TED hose stocking. If there is any using from your wound, please place some dry dressings over the incision site.
- Please wear the TED hose stocking for the next two weeks to help with swelling and to help prevent a blood clot. Please roll down the top of the stocking periodically to prevent damage to your skin.
Follow Up Appointment Information
Call our office to schedule follow up appointment for 10-14 days, 916-732-3005.
Physical therapy – you should start physical therapy within 3 to 5 days after surgery. If you do not have an appointment, please contact our office. Please bring the bear implant Physical therapy book instructions to your physical therapy appointment.
Medications
- Narcotics – please take as prescribed. Limit the amount you take as these medications can cause nausea, vomiting, constipation and addiction. It is recommended to stop utilizing the narcotics as soon as possible.
- Anti-inflammatory (Aleve, Ibuprofen) – start taking this medication right away with food after surgery. Please choose one or the other but not take both.
- Advil (Ibuprofen) 800 mg one tablet (4 over-the-counter tablets) every 8 hours with food
- Aleve (Naprosyn) 500 mg tablets (2 over-the-counter tablets) every 12 hours with food
- Tylenol 1000 mg every 6 hours as needed. Please be aware that the narcotics normally have 325 mg of Tylenol within the medication. So please do not exceed 4000 mg in one day.
- Aspirin 81 mg once a day for 6 weeks
QUESTIONS/CONCERNS
You can also contact our office directly by using the Klara texting application. You can respond to the text messages sent by our office or your can initiate a new conversation by clicking on the purple “MESSAGE US” at the bottom of my webpage. www.sacorthosports.com
Greg Takenishi, MD
Sacramento Orthopedic Sports & Shoulder
Sacramento River Cats Head Team physician
San Francisco Giants Team physician
www.sacorthosports.com