Once you've been discharged from the hospital
you'll still need to be followed by a physiotherapist. If you had your knee
replaced
the first 8 weeks that follows your surgery can be crucial to your recovery.
You will need an active physiotherapy program to work on your knee.
This is when the scar is developing and if you don't work hard following your
surgery
you can be prone to developing a stiff knee.
One option is North York General Hospital's Knee Class. You'll work in a group format
with other patients who've had their knee replaced.
The Knee Class is for patients that have had
a total knee replacement here at North York General Hospital.
This here is the rehabilitation gym
on the 5th floor. Your first appointment
consists off being assessed, then after that you're put into a class.
The classes are run on Mondays and Thursdays,
so they're twice a week and you're here for about an hour at each time.
In the class itself you'll be trying to restore your range of motion
which is the movement of the knee through different exercises
lying down, sitting up and standing.
Our program is designed for 8 weeks from the time of surgery.
You are expected to get a certain range of motion,
a certain strength and a certain functional ability
prior to discharge.
You come to the Knee Class and the physiotherapist will walk through
the plans for the different exercises they want you to do
and it's very, very important because they watch you, they monitor you, they measure you.
They make sure that you're progressing correctly.
They also check your incisions to make sure they're fine.
I can't say enough about them, the care.
If you can not attend the Knee Class, it is important that you are still followed by
a physiotherapist.
Home care physiotherapy through the Community Care Access Centre can be
arranged from the hospital prior to your discharge.
You can also arrange to see a community physiotherapist on your own.
A list of community therapists can be found on the College of Physiotherapists website.
if you've had your hip replaced
a few sessions of home care physiotherapy with Community Care Access
Centre is recommended.
The therapist can look at your home environment and make sure that you're
getting around safely in your home
and make recommendations on how you can adapt with your new hip precautions.
The challenges that the patient typically would
encounter initially during the immediate post-operative period would be
certainly managing their pain as well as controlling
the swelling and
dealing with their fatigue which is often an issue when they first
come home,
and then getting into the routine of doing their daily therapy.
We expect that the exercises are done at least 3 to 4 times a day.
Sometimes this is a challenge for the patient to sort of get into that routine
of doing your exercises
regularly. By the time we're finished seeing them at 3 months, they're really
fairly independent. Again it really depends
on the patient and how well they comply
any adhere to their rehab program. It's very important that the patient is very
engaged
and committed to their program, that they exercise every day.
And that's what the physiotherapist is there for, just to guide and
coach the patient along as they're doing their rehab.
The visit each week it's a morale booster.
You feel like somebody, they're here to direct you and help you.
I look forward to her visits, it's very social
and she's a very pleasant person but she keeps me on track.
And the onus is on me
or any patient, to do the exercises.
You're only going to help yourself. You have to do them and you'll be glad that
you do.
But it's like having a personal trainer come in and they're just saying okay
need to do this a little bit different, you need do this little bit
easier, a little bit stronger but it all works, it's good teamwork.
Even though we are visiting with the patient over the first 3 months
postoperatively and that's obviously the time of most
intense exercise, particularly in the first 6 to 8 weeks,
we strongly encourage the patients that this is a lifetime commitment. You have a
new joint
you need to look after it. We encourage patients to be
active, continue with their exercises on a daily basis as able for the rest of
their lives to get the most out of that joint and really have a good quality
of life.
You have to maintain those exercises that have been taught to you
and it's really to your benefit that you do abide by that because
it strengthens every muscle that supports these new
joints that you now have.
You'll be seen for your first follow-up appointment 4 weeks after
your surgery.
The clinic is located at the Gulshan & Pyarali G. Nanji Orthopaedic and Plastics Centre
located on the first floor, West Wing of the General Site.
It is located across from the Day Surgery reception.
Your surgeon will assess your incision, your range of motion,
ask you how your pain is, if you're having any difficulties at home
and if you have any more concerns at this time. Your surgeon will then discuss
with you
your next appointment when you will be seen again. This will depend on how your
surgeon feels you are doing at the time
of the 4-week assessment.
Today was my 1-month checkup follow-up after the surgery
and to make sure the incisions were fine, they were dissolving stitches but they
sniffed the bottom and the top
part where the thread stays outside of the knee and
I got a clean bill of health and the next time I see Dr. Mehdian
will be in 2 months.