+ What do I do with my dressing?

• Cover it when you shower for the first 3 days and change it if it gets wet or dirty. You can remove the dressing after day 3.
• You can also remove the outer ACE bandages in order to remove the ice pack from out of your dressing, just be sure to wrap the ACE back up
• Leave the Steri-strips in place until they fall off on their own.

+ What are my restrictions?

• Wear your brace
• Your weight-bearing restrictions will be outlined in your post-op PT protocol. For most repairs, You CANNOT put any weight on this leg. Putting weight on the leg will stress the meniscus repair and may make it less likely to heal. Occaisionally, we will let you put weight on it with your leg locked straight.
• Use your crutches.
• Don’t bend your knee past 90 degrees for 2 weeks, your brace will help with that.

+ Do I have stitches? When do they come out??

• You have 2 stitches that will be taken out at your first post-operative visit. Don’t worry, they don’t hurt when they come out! There might be other stitches that are under the skin and will dissolve and you will never see them

+ Can I put lotions or anything on my incisions?

• No. Please do not put any lotions, creams, oils, antibiotic ointments or anything on the incisions until they are perfectly healed and the scab is gone.

+ When can I shower?

• You can shower immediately if you cover the dressing for the first 3 days.
• After 3 days, you can remove the dressing and let the water run down over the incisions.
• DO NOT scrub the incisions or submerge them underwater.

+ Will I have a brace? How long di I wear my brace?

• Yes, you will typically wear your brace for about 4-6 weeks after your surgery.

+ What do I take for pain?

• You will be given a prescription for narcotic pain medication after surgery (usually Norco/Hydrocodone).
• However, Ibuprofen and Tylenol work great. You can take start taking Ibuprofen every 8 hours starting immediately after surgery to minimize the amount of narcotic you will need to take as long as you have no stomach ulcer issues, kidney issues, and you are not on any blood thinners. We have patients who do not need any of the narcotic, but everybody reacts differently to surgery.
• The Norco has 325 mg of Tylenol in it already, so if you are taking Tylenol, just be sure that you do not exceed 3000 mg of it in a 24 h period.

+ What medications will I be on?

• Aspirin- to prevent blood clots. If you are on Lovenox, then wait until after you are done to begin the Aspirin.
• Lovenox - we MIGHT have you on these blood thinner injections to prevent blood clots. If so, you will be on this for 3 weeks. Start taking a baby aspirin AFTER you are done with all the lovenox injections.
• An opioid for pain, usually Norco (Hydrocodone)
• Zofran- for nausea
• Colace- stool softener

+ Will I have a nerve block?

• Possibly, but it will not prevent all of your pain. Some numbing medicine was also injected into the skin. These usually last 1-3 days.

+ How do I return the ice machine?

• Bring it back around your 1st post-operative visit and drop it off at the hospital entrance.

+ Do I need to wear my brace when I sleep?

• Yes, for 2 weeks. Then you no longer need to.

+ When do I follow up after my surgery?

• Between 7-14 days afterwards. This appointment should already be made for you, but you can adjust it if needed.

+ When should I start going to physical therapy?

• Immediately, the sooner the better. You will have all the paperwork you need for PT when you leave the hospital.

+ How long will I be going to physical therapy?

• For the next 3-5 months

+ How frequently do I need to go to physical therapy?

• 2-3 times/week initially, but this will be spaced out over time as you progress

+ What are some red flags after my surgery that I should be looking for?

• Fever over 101.4 F
• Calf swelling or severe calf pain
• Increasing redness around the incision
• Pus draining from the incision. It is normal for some drainage from the incisions for a few days after surgery.
• Chest pain or difficulty breathing

+ How long is the recovery?

• As a general rule, you will be feeling good at the 6 week mark, really good at the 3 month mark, and then strengthening after that. Full recovery is about 6 months depending on how your quadriceps muscle recovers.

+ When can I sleep on my side?

• You can sleep on your side as soon as it feels comfortable to do so

+ When can I swim?

• You CANNOT get into a pool or hot tub until your incisions are perfectly healed, usually around 4 weeks. After that, you may get into a pool but check with us or PT before swimming.

+ When can I run?

• You will work with us and your physical therapist to determine this, but it’s usually around 3-4 months.

+ When can I return to sports?

• You will work with us and your physical therapist to determine this, but it’s usually around 6 months. You will likely complete a functional sport test in PT before returning to sports.

+ Will I play sports in a brace?

• Not usually.

+ When can I drive?

• When you can fully weight bear and are not on any pain medication, usually around 6 weeks if it’s your right leg. Be sure to practice before driving again.

+ When can I go back to work?

• Depends on your job. If you can perform your job while abiding by the restrictions, you can go back as soon as you feel able to.
• We recommend not making any important decisions while on the pain medication.