How long does one have to stay in hospital after a Total Knee Replacement Surgery?

It’s a common concern among our patients considering Total Knee Replacement Surgery, and rightly so! Let’s delve into it together with Dr. Ashwini Gaurav, the best orthopedic doctor in Patna, to address your questions and concerns

Total Knee Replacement surgery has become a very common surgery in India with Lakhs of people getting it done every year. There was a time in the past, when Total Knee Replacement surgeries were associated with bed rests, long hospital stays, and similar things. But, we have come a long way since that time. It has been possible only due to advances in surgical techniques, newer prosthesis designs, and a better overall understanding of this surgery and its results. And thus it has developed into a very fast recovery surgery in today’s time!

We have 3 main targets after surgery that we want to fulfill before discharging our patients from the hospital:

• Knee Bending.
• Walking.
• Increasing muscle strength around the knee joint.

So after surgery the next day, ie, 1st post-operative day (POD 1), we start exercises for our patients. We want our patients to feel comfortable first and if comfortable then start with knee muscle strengthening exercises and some knee bending exercises. For those patients who have reduced pain and are comfortable, we also advise and support them in starting walking using a walker support. The earlier one gets into this practice of exercises after surgery the better the long-term results are.

On POD-2, we change the dressing on the knee to a lighter dressing and the knee becomes more comfortable for all the above exercises and knee mobilization. 100% of our patients are walking from the next day. This walking is supervised in the presence of a physiotherapist and nursing staff, and the patient is taught how and in what sequence the legs are moved and how to maintain their balance.

This supervised physiotherapy is continued for 2 more days till POD 4, during which time the patients gain confidence in their walking gait, and sometimes, stair climbing is also taught to them during the period.

By POD 4, patients become very comfortable and the pain becomes negligible. At this time we repeat the dressing and if the patient wants to move home, we plan the discharge of the patient same day.

No special vehicle (ambulance etc) is required to go home. In these 4-5 days we try to make our patients so comfortable and confident that they can easily go home in their personal car or taxi, sitting on the front passenger seat.

After reaching home, no repeat dressings are required normally and the patients again come to meet me on POD 14 for skin stitches removal. And at this time advice is given regarding further physiotherapy sessions and best practices for getting an excellent result.

If you have any other queries regarding this, you can meet best knee replacement surgeon in Patna, Dr. Ashwini Gaurav at the Clinic by booking an online appointment or call us at 9386737895