Wellness

[tansy]

I'm fairly mild mannered, @CrazyKittyLvr2, but I'd tell that surgeon how unhappy you are with the lack of post-op care provided.  My last two surgeons gave me their personal cell phone numbers for after hour problems.  

[aubnwa01]

Don't surgeons/clinics usually have a service that patients or even ERs can call to reach a dr. in the event of an urgent afterhours or weekend emergency?  If your surgeon doesn't call at least they should usually have another dr. who covers for the afterhours/weekend stuff.

[RedTop]

Your discharge instructions are for the purpose of telling you what to do and what not to do once you leave the hospital. I personally would not be impressed with a PT who interpreted your discharge instructions to apply to what she is there to do.

In my area, our big surgical office employs a Surgery Coordinator who handles everything related to your surgery and aftercare. All the Dr does is see you at rechecks. The Surgery Coordinator is responsible for commuting the physician orders for PT. Unless there are patient based specifics, the physician orders are standard; they are typed and on file as THE standard order for therapy after TKR. I would think a PT doing homecare should know that. Of course she is going to bend your knee! Obviously she didn't prepare herself in advance for the visit with you, and clarify her initial therapy, OR she wanted to get an earlier start on her weekend, and essentially ditched you. I went thru 8 months of in home care for my husband with visiting nurses, and had one who tried to shortcut on Fridays. I didn't let it happen here, and she got fired.

All TKR patients in this area use a CPM in the hospital before discharge and in home for 2 weeks. You lie on the bed, have someone help put your leg in the machine, strap it down, and with the remote, you start it up and let it gently lift and bend your knee. You start out at a certain range, and over the 2 weeks build up as high as you can. I feel a CPM was THE most helpful part of my therapy both times.

I hope your PT helps with your recovery, but am not impressed with her initial visit. This is on her, not your surgeon; she should've known what to do before she arrived!

[Annabellethecat66]

@CrazyKittyLvr2  What did you have done to your leg?

[CrazyKittyLvr2]

@Annabellethecat66  I had a total knee replacement last Wed. the 20th.  I will never have another one. lol

[ValuSkr]

Such is the state of the medical industry.  They're doing so well, they don't even bother returning their customers' calls.

[CrazyKittyLvr2]

@RedTop  I was not put on any machine in the hospital.  Someone from PT came in a couple of hours before I went home and had me do a couple of exercises.  She had me bend my knee in one of them.

On Friday the woman who came to the house said she will come 3 days a week until I see surgeon 12/4.  After that I go outpatient and use machines.

All I know is that I am sick of dealing with the whole bunch of them.

[Still Raining]

It is always prudent to use the message feature on their website to document the time and message.  

[CLHS68]

You have to be bending that knee or it will stiffffen up and be much harder to get your range of motion. They started immediately in the hospital & continued at home with the PT. They would take measurments as to how far I could bend it. You also need to walk they told me walk some every hour. I am happy with mine best part no more pain.

[RedTop]

@CrazyKittyLvr2 

Bending the knee is imperative to recovery; you just do it under supervision, straight bend, no twist.

My 2017 surgery was on Wednesday, and I walked 2x that day.  On Thursday, I did the CPM and had group PT twice a day, plus walked 2x.   I had group PT, one CPM session, and walked once on Friday before discharge.   I started PT on Monday at the hospital as an outpatient, and had a total of 9 sessions.  Even with a gaping incision, my bend and flex measurements were achieved very quickly, thanks to the CPM.   

I sincerely wish you the best, but am not at all impressed with your doctors methods.