You’ll find two types of dressing over the wound.

Remove the large wool and crepe bandage 24-48 hrs following your ligament reconstruction.

The small dressings over each wound should be left on for 5 days and then removed once all leakage has stopped.

Re-apply a fresh dry dressing or plaster if there is still any leakage from the wound.

For the first few days, try to keep the leg elevated when sitting down and rest as much as possible. Do your exercises frequently.

You can put as much weight through the knee as you find comfortable but the muscles around the knee will be weak and your Yorkshire Knee Clinic knee surgeon will encourage the use of crutches for a few days.

The hospital physiotherapists will give you specific advice prior to discharge from hospital.

You may take a shower or bathe from the day after ligament reconstruction providing you keep the wound areas completely dry. Provided the wounds have healed, they can be soaked from day 5.

In order to drive safely you must have regained good muscle control of the operated leg. This normally takes at least two weeks following knee surgery.

Before you attempt driving, you should be confident that you are in full control of the car and be able to perform an emergency stop with no hesitation. If you are in any doubt, ask your knee specialist or physiotherapist.

There are important activity restrictions over the first few months following ACL reconstruction and your physiotherapist will fully explain these to you. If you ignore these restrictions there is a significant chance that the surgery will fail.

Read more about physiotherapy with Yorkshire Knee Clinic

This depends on your recovery from surgery and the type of work you do. Some patients have more complicated knee surgery which may require extra restrictions.

The majority of office workers can return within 2 weeks of ACL knee surgery. Those patients who need to walk/stand for long periods may need 2-3 weeks off work.

If you have a job that involves heavy manual work, carrying or lifting, you should not return to work until advised by your knee surgeon or physiotherapist.

Before you leave hospital, your physiotherapist will usually demonstrate simple exercises you can do at home. You must perform these regularly and you should also apply ice frequently to reduce swelling.

Your physiotherapist will also explain further exercises to aid your rehabilitation.

For ACL reconstruction surgery to be successful, you must comply with the rehabilitation programme, which must be supervised by your physiotherapist.

Serious complications are uncommon following knee ligament reconstruction but can occur. These include infection, blood clots (or DVT – deep vein thrombosis), excessive swelling, bleeding and damage to blood vessels or nerves.

There is always a small risk that the reconstructed graft can rupture, in a similar way to the original injury to your ligament. This risk is greatest in the first 3 months following surgery. It is therefore important that an experienced physiotherapist supervises your recovery.

Warning signs following surgery you should look out for are:

• Fever / chills above 38°C (100.4°F)
• Persistent warmth or redness around the knee
• Persistent or increased pain
• Significant swelling, tingling or numbness in your knee/leg which is not relieved by elevating the leg for one hour
• Increasing pain in your calf muscles
• Shortness of breath or chest pain

If you experience any of the above please contact the hospital for advice.

The hospital will give you painkillers and/or anti-inflammatory tablets for the first few days following surgery. If you need more painkillers, speak to your doctor.

You’ll get advice on dressings (if still required) before you leave hospital.

You will need to do frequent exercises each day to build muscles and recover the full range of movement.

It is important to remain active at home and Yorkshire Knee Clinic’s knee consultants encourage regular walks.

When resting, try to elevate the leg to reduce swelling. Most knees, however, remain swollen and warm for many weeks.

You may take a shower or bathe when you get home once wounds have healed, and providing you can get safely into and out of the bath/shower.

In order to drive safely you must have regained good muscle control of the operated leg and pain must be controlled. Remember, you are not allowed to drive whilst taking some types of painkillers.

Driving after knee surgery is usually possible in 3-6 weeks, but this varies depending on which leg is affected and whether the car is manual or automatic.

If you are in any doubt, seek advice from your knee surgeon or physiotherapist.

This depends on your recovery from surgery and the type of work you do. Some patients have more complicated surgery which may require extra restrictions.

The majority of office workers can return within 3-4 weeks. If you have a job which requires you to stand for long periods you may need 6-8 weeks off work.

Most patients require additional physiotherapy following discharge. Before you leave hospital, your physiotherapist will usually demonstrate simple exercises you can do at home.

You must perform these regularly for them to be effective. Bear in mind that it is possible to over-exercise after knee surgery, and this can cause increased swelling and pain.

If in doubt consult your physiotherapist.

Most patients have an uncomplicated recovery but knee replacement is a major operation which carries risks of complications. The main risks associated with knee replacement are:

• Infection – the chance of a serious deep infection is approximately 1-2%, although 2-3% may have a treatable infection which settles down over a short period. A serious deep infection is a major complication which may require further (often extensive) surgery to treat it.
• Deep Venous Thrombosis (DVT) – blood clots affecting the lower leg can occur although precautions are taken to reduce the chance of this. They are often not serious and are treatable.
• Pulmonary Embolus – a rare but serious complication where a blood clot obstructs some of the blood vessels in the lung.
• Nerve damage – it is common for patients to be left with a patch of numbness on the outside of the scar on the front of the leg. It is extremely rare to have nerve damage which causes weakness in the leg or foot.
• Bleeding
• Stiffness

Warning signs you should look out for are:

• Fever / chills above 38°C (100.4°F)
• Persistent warmth or redness around the knee
• Leakage from the wound after leaving hospital
• Persistent or increased pain
• Significant swelling, tingling or numbness in your knee/leg which is not relieved by elevating the leg for one hour
• Increasing pain in your calf muscles
• Shortness of breath or chest pain

If you experience any of the above please contact the hospital for advice.