use a walker or crutches.
After knee replacement surgery. After surgery, you're wheeled to a recovery room for one to two hours. You're then moved to your hospital room, where you typically stay for a couple of days. You might feel pain, but medications prescribed by your doctor should help control it. During the procedure, your knee is in a bent position to expose all surfaces of the joint. After making an incision about 6 to 10 inches (15 to 25 centimeters) long, your surgeon moves aside your kneecap and cuts away the damaged joint surfaces. After surgery, you're wheeled to a recovery room for one to two hours. You're then moved to your hospital room, where you typically stay for a couple of days. You might feel pain, but medications prescribed by your doctor should help control it. 76 Replies | Watch This Discussion | Report This | Share this:Pain 3 weeks after knee replacementI had knee replacement 3 weeks ago and I am still on oxycontin every 12 hrs and taking Percocet in between for break thru pain. I had knee replacement three weeks ago as well (12/3) and sound a lot like you. My physical therapist says I'm doing great--range of motion is well in advance of what some experience at this point; however, pain at night is the big problem. Knee Replacement Recovery Time. Knee replacement recovery time will vary for each person, but this is a good guide as to what to expect. Most people make an excellent recovery after surgery and are up and about very quickly. Gone are the days when people were in hospital for two weeks. Now it's up and about straight away and home in just a few days. Here, we will look at the recovery process after a total knee replacement, what is involved and how long it usually takes to get back to things. Pain and swelling can take up to 3 months to settle and knee replacement recovery time continues up to 2 years after your operation. The average hospital stay after knee joint replacement is usually three to five days. The vast majority of people who undergo knee joint replacement surgery have dramatic improvement. This improvement is most notable one month or more after surgery. You and your doctor may consider knee replacement surgery if you have a stiff, painful knee that makes it difficult to perform even the simplest of activities, and other treatments are no longer working. This surgery is generally reserved for people over age 50 who have severe osteoarthritis. Results. For most people, knee replacement provides pain relief, improved mobility and a better quality of life. Talk with your doctor about what you can expect from knee replacement surgery. Three to six weeks after surgery, you generally can resume most daily activities, such as shopping and light housekeeping. Driving is also possible at around three weeks if you can bend your knee far enough to sit in a car and if you have enough muscle control to operate the brakes and accelerator. Everyone heals from total knee replacement surgery at a different pace. In most cases, however, you will likely use a walker or crutches for 2 to 4 weeks after your operation. You will then advance to a cane and wean to no assistive device at all. When you can return to work after total knee replacement surgery depends on your profession. If your work is sedentary, you may return as early as 2 to 4 weeks post-operatively. If your work is more rigorous, you may require up to 3 months before you can return to full duty. In some cases, more time may be necessary After knee joint replacement, people are standing and moving the joint the day after surgery. At first, you may walk with the help of parallel bars, and then a walking device -- such as crutches, walker, or cane -- will be used until your knee is able to support your full body weight. You and your doctor may consider knee replacement surgery if you have a stiff, painful knee that makes it difficult to perform even the simplest of activities, and other treatments are no longer working. This surgery is generally reserved for people over age 50 who have severe osteoarthritis.
http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/knee-replacement/basics/what-you-can-expect/PRC-20019202 http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/knee-replacement/basics/what-you-can-expect/PRC-20019202 http://forums.webmd.com/3/knee-and-hip-replacement-exchange/forum/259 http://www.knee-pain-explained.com/knee-replacement-recovery-time.html http://www.webmd.com/osteoarthritis/guide/knee-replacement-surgery http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/knee-replacement/basics/results/PRC-20019202 http://www.emoryhealthcare.org/orthopaedics/become-patient/faq/knee-replacement.html http://www.webmd.com/osteoarthritis/guide/knee-replacement-surgery
what to expect two weeks after knee replacement