Nathaniel Stewart, MD

These are general instructions and there may be additions or changes to this guide, which will be explained in the hospital.  If you have any questions after your discharge and before being seen in the office, please feel free to call the office at 888-455-6233 or 715-955-4814 .  If you need any more pain medication, please call the office Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

1.    Your brace will be set at full extension postoperatively.  The brace should be left on at all times and may be adjusted during your passive range of motion exercises.  If for some reason the brace slips down or the dressing feels too tight, feel free to carefully remove the brace and ace bandage, rewrap the ace bandage around the leg, and reapply the brace.  Generally the passive range of motion will be 0 degrees extension and 90 degrees flexion for an anterior cruciate ligament repair and 0 degrees extension and 60 degrees flexion for a patellar realignment.

2.    Keep the brace locked when up and ambulating or when doing your straight leg lifts and quad set exercises until your quads are stronger.  Call Northwoods Therapy Associates at 715.839.9266 if you have questions about your brace or exercises.

3.    Use the cooling apparatus as much as possible as it will help with both pain control and swelling.  It is a good idea to turn it off for approximately one to two hours in the morning and evening so the skin will not get injured from the cooling apparatus.

4.    For an ACL repair, when ambulating, you may place as much weight on the leg as is comfortable.  For a patellar realignment: when ambulating you may place 20-25% of your body weight through your surgical leg. In certain cases we will request that you put no weight on your leg for up to 6 weeks after surgery.

5.    Strong pain medication will be prescribed for you.  Use this as needed.  Try to reduce pain medications so that you are only taking one tablet as opposed to two as soon as possible.  At the end of one week, most patients are taking only ibuprofen or Tylenol for pain relief.  Again, if more pain medication is needed, call during regular office hours.

6.    Make sure that an appointment has been made for you both in the office and in physical therapy 1-3 days after surgery.  This generally will consist of an appointment at physical therapy approximately one hour prior to your appointment at the clinic.  This will allow the therapist time to prepare the leg for inspection and evaluation at the clinic facility.

7.    You may notice slight reddish drainage on the dressings.  This is common and normal.  If the dressings become wet from the drainage, or from the cooling unit, then you may remove the ace wrap to allow the inner layer of dressings to dry.  Then reapply the ace wrap.  Notify our office if drainage persists.

8.    Make sure you call or report to the office if you begin having any unusual symptoms or symptoms suggestive of an infection such as significantly elevated temperature which persists, drainage or foul smelling odor from the wound or any significant increase in pain.

9.    To drive you must no longer be taking narcotic pain pills.  (Plain Tylenol is allowed.)  Also, you must feel strong and alert.  You may unlock the brace to allow for flexion of the knee while driving.  Most people are able to start driving 1-2 weeks after surgery.