You have undergone orthopedic surgery on your knee. In this document, you can read about how the surgery was performed and what you need to pay special attention to during your recovery.If you have been given a personal surgery report, you should follow the instructions described there. Contact the ambulatory if you have any questions.

How was the surgery performed?

Your knee joint has been examined using an arthroscope. If a meniscus injury was detected during the examination, the damaged part has been removed. Please refer to your personal surgery report for a detailed description of your procedure.

Can discomfort or complications occur?

• A small percentage of patients develop a wound infection, which is treated with antibiotics.
• A small percentage may develop a blood clot in the veins of the operated leg. This can cause swelling, fever, and pain. Depending on the location of the blood clot, we treat it with blood-thinning medication.

How to prevent infection

Avoid baths and swimming pools until the wound has healed. Change the bandages if they become soaked or wet.

What to do with the bandages and sutures?

The compression bandage should be removed tonight before you go to bed. The bandages underneath may be removed 24 hours after surgery, and you may take a shower. If the wound is bleeding or leaking, apply a new bandage.

The stitches will be removed after approximately 10 days by a nurse at the Orthopedic Outpatient Clinic. You will receive an appointment via e-Boks.

If you live far away, the stitches can be removed by your own doctor. You must schedule this appointment yourself.

Rehabilitation

• The day after surgery, you should start exercising your thigh muscles and doing vein pump exercises—bending your ankle and tensing your calf muscles
• You will receive an appointment for rehabilitation with a physiotherapist via e-Boks
• You should begin the rehabilitation exercises tomorrow as instructed before the surgery. (Read the exercise program provided by the physiotherapist or given to you on the day of surgery
• Take your pain medication as prescribed to ensure you can complete your exercises. Your surgery report will indicate if you need physiotherapy sessions
• Use crutches until you can walk normally again.

After the surgery

• An adult should stay with you during the first night.
• You must not drive a vehicle the first 24 hours after the surgery. You may resume driving when it is safe to do so.
• You should put weight on the operated leg, but it is recommended to rest the first few days after surgery.
• You may resume to work after approximately one week or when you feel ready. If your job involves hard physically labor that may put strain on the knee, recovery may take longer before you return.

Pain and swelling after surgery

• Your knee may feel tight and swollen the first few weeks.
• Keep your leg elevated the first few days after surgery to reduce swelling and help with pain relief.
• To reduce swelling and pain, apply cooling bandage to the knee for about 20 minutes every hour. You can use a bag of frozen peas, but always wrap it in a towel to prevent frostbite.
• The painkillers you picked up from the pharmacy are usually sufficient to treat the pain after surgery.
• It is important to take your pain medication during the recovery period. This will help minimize discomfort and allow you to begin your rehabilitation.

When should I take my medication?

We recommend you take your next dose of pain-relieving medication at:

Other medications:

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Name of contact nurse: 

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What to do if you feel unwell?

You should seek medical assistance if:

• You get a fever above 38 degrees cﹾ.
• You experience increasing pain in your knee or calf.
• You experience that the bandage is too tight.
• You experience swelling, redness or tenderness around the surgical site.

Contact within the first 24 hours:

The deparment of Day Surgery, Hvidovre Hospital
Telephone 38 62 10 41 (weekdays between 08:00 a.m - 03:00 p.m)

Outside of opening hours, you can contact 1813 or your general practitioner.

Contact within the next days after surgery:

The Outpatient Orthopedic Clinic, Hvidovre Hospital
Telephone 38 62 22 44 (weekdays between 08:00 a.m – 03:00 p.m)

Outside of opening hours, you can contact 1813 or your general practitioner.