You have had a new ACL surgically implanted. 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 surgical report, you should follow the instructions de-scribed there. Contact the ambulatory if you have any questions.

How was the surgery performed?

You have had a reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) made, using a tendon taken from another part of your leg (hamstring, quadriceps, or patellar tendon). If you had any meniscus injury, the meniscus was either removed or repaired with sutures. Cartilage damage not caused by osteoarthritis may have been treated by drilling into the bone marrow. For further details, read your surgical report, where your procedure is described in detail.

Can discomfort or complications occur?

• A small percentage of patients develop a wound infection, which is treated with antibi-otics.
• 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.

What to do with the bandages and sutures?

• The compression bandage should be removed tonight before you go to bed
• The bandages 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 Outpatient Orthopaedic 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, but you should begin your exercises tomorrow as instructed before the surgery. (Read the exercise program provided by your physiotherapist or on the day of surgery)
• Use crutches until you can walk normally again.

After the surgery

• An adult should stay with you during the first night
• It is not safe to drive a vehicle as long as you are wearing a brace (Don Joy)
• It is recommended that you rest the first couple of days after surgery
• You may stand on your leg with your full body weight unless you have been told oth-erwise during the discharge. For further details, read your personal surgical report, which describes your specific restrictions
• If there is a brace (Don Joy) on your leg, it is set to limit movement in the knee and you must wear the brace at night as well. You may only remove the brace when showering and doing your exercises
• You may resume to light work after 2-3 weeks. However, if you have a physically demanding job, it may take longer before you are ready
• When you visit the Outpatient Orthopedic Clinic for stitch removal, you will receive an appointment for a follow-up consultation with the surgeon

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
• You have been given a cooling bandage, which should be used the first 4 days. Apply it for 1 hour at a time, followed by a 1-hour break. During the break, place the cooling elements in the freezer
• 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 - 15:00 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 – 15:00 p.m)

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