General instructions after surgery

This page describes what is generally common after an orthopedic operation. It is written to help you recognize the ordinary parts of recovery and to know when something should be reported.

It is deliberately general. It does not tell you how much weight you may put through the limb, how far to move the joint, whether to wear a brace or sling, or when to start therapy — those depend on the procedure you had, and your surgeon sets them for you.

Anesthesia is planned with the anesthesia team. For some operations that includes a nerve block, which numbs an area around the surgical site.

If you had a block, the limb may feel numb, heavy, or difficult to move until it wears off. How long that takes depends on the medicine used, and your anesthesia team will tell you what to expect. As it wears off you may notice tingling — like pins and needles — before normal sensation returns.

If numbness or weakness lasts noticeably longer than your team told you to expect, call the office.

Some pain after an operation is expected. The goal is pain that is controlled and manageable — not pain that is entirely absent. Some soreness is expected as you heal; worsening or uncontrolled pain is not — tell your care team.

Follow the medication instructions you were given for your own surgery, exactly as directed. The physician-authored Postoperative Medication Instructions are available to download from the patient guides, but if the instructions you personally received differ from them, follow your own instructions. If you have a question about any medicine — including something you already take — contact your surgical team before changing anything.

Do not drive or operate machinery while you are taking prescription pain medicine that makes you drowsy. If your pain is not reasonably controlled, or it is getting worse rather than gradually better, contact your surgical team.

Wound instructions vary by procedure, and yours may differ from what is described here. Follow the instructions you were given.

In general, the dressing is kept clean and dry until your first post-operative visit, and a small amount of bleeding or swelling under it in the first days is common. If blood soaks through, that alone is usually not a cause for alarm — the dressing can be reinforced.

Keeping the incision dry matters until your team tells you the wound is healed. Do not soak or submerge the incision — no baths, pools, or hot tubs — until you are cleared. Do not put ointments or creams on the incision unless your team asked you to.

Balance can be affected after surgery. If you shower, take precautions against falling, such as using a seat.

Swelling is a normal part of healing and is usually most noticeable in the first days. Elevating the operated limb helps, as does resting from activity that makes swelling worse.

If you were given a cooling device or told to use ice, follow the instructions you were given for how long and how often. Keep a layer between the cold source and your skin — cold applied directly can injure skin.

If you were given a brace, sling, crutches, or a walker, use them as instructed. These devices protect the repair as well as support you, so how and when they are used is specific to your operation.

How much weight you may put through an operated leg, and how much you may move an operated joint, are set by your surgeon. Do not infer them from another person's recovery or from a general description.

In the early period, it is sensible to avoid activity that clearly increases your pain or swelling, and to keep lifting and carrying to a minimum until your team advances you.

These findings are common after surgery and, on their own, are usually not a cause for concern:

• Pain that is present but gradually improving.
• Mild warmth around the surgical site.
• A small amount of redness right where the sutures enter the skin.
• A small amount of drainage in the first days.
• Numbness in the skin around the incision.
• Bruising, which often tracks down the arm or leg with gravity and can look dramatic before it fades.
• A low-grade temperature during the first week.

Contact the office promptly if you notice:

• Redness that is spreading or clearly worsening rather than settling.
• Drainage that continues, increases, or becomes thick or foul-smelling.
• A fever that is higher or more persistent than your team told you to expect, or shaking chills.
• Pain that is escalating rather than gradually improving, or that is not controlled.
• New calf pain or swelling, or new swelling well beyond the surgical area.
• Numbness or weakness that is new, or that is not resolving as your team described.

If you have an emergency, or symptoms that need immediate attention — such as sudden shortness of breath, chest pain, or heavy bleeding that does not stop — call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.

This website is not monitored and cannot be used to reach anyone.

You will be seen after surgery to review your operative findings and the plan going forward. The office arranges those visits; contact them to confirm or reschedule.

Most operations are followed by a structured rehabilitation program. When therapy starts, and which protocol is used, depend on the procedure you had — your surgeon selects it for you. Use only the protocol your surgical team gave you, even if another one looks similar.