First Assessment
Free
45 minutes, at home
- Full clinical examination at the patient's home
- The likely cause explained in plain language
- A realistic recovery plan and what it will cost
- No obligation to book any further sessions
Most surgery in Pune now means a short hospital stay, which pushes more of the recovery into the home. For a household in Ghorpadi that can mean a ground-floor entrance with steps, a staircase to the bedroom, or a lift that works most days. Rehabilitation is partly about the body and partly about making these everyday routes safe.
Our post-surgery rehabilitation page describes the general stages. The notes below deal with what is specific to homes here.
The house before the patient arrives
Think through the route from the car to the bed. Is there a step at the gate, and is it deep enough for a walker? Are the stairs steep? Is a rail present on the side the patient will need? In older buildings in Ghorpadi, a ground-floor room is often the safest choice for the first weeks, with a bed of suitable height, a chair with arms and a nearby toilet. Remove loose mats and pile cables out of the way. If the surgeon has recommended a raised toilet seat or a walker, arrange them before discharge.
- Agree who will be at home on each day of the first fortnight.
- Keep the discharge summary, the surgeon's instructions and a medicine list together.
- Ask the hospital for the date of the first review.
The first trip up or down
For many patients, the first time on the stairs is the most worrying moment. The physiotherapist assesses strength and balance and watches the patient on a few steps with a helper, usually on a bannister side. The pattern is simple: the stronger leg leads up, the operated one leads down, the helper stands below on the way down and above on the way up, and nobody rushes. If the surgeon has restricted weight on the leg, crutches or a walker change the method, and it is taught on the day. Some patients should not use the stairs at all until a review.
What visits cover after different operations
After knee or hip replacement the early focus is on bending and straightening, thigh strength, walking with an aid and the movement precautions for the hip. After a fracture, rehabilitation follows weight-bearing rules and rebuilds range and strength once the bone allows it. After spine surgery the priority is safe rolling, sitting, standing and walking, avoiding bending and twisting the way the surgeon advises. After abdominal surgery, breathing exercises, supported coughing and gentle walking come first. Our knee replacement rehabilitation page has further detail. Older patients may find the elderly physiotherapy page for Ghorpadi a useful companion.
Every visit starts with a check of pain, swelling and the wound from the outside, then exercise and walking, then review of the home plan. Anything that looks wrong is reported to you to pass on to the surgeon.
Follow-up trips and the return to routine
Hospital visits mean a car journey past the railway crossing and the flyover works. Practise the transfer into the vehicle, use a cushion if the seat is low, take a helper and keep the aid with you. After the first review, the programme usually moves from bed and chair exercises to longer walks in the building compound, then to the tasks the patient most wants back, such as cooking, shopping or driving, as the surgeon allows.
Warning signs to report at once
Contact the surgeon or go to the emergency department for a hot, swollen, painful calf, sudden breathlessness, chest pain, fever, a wound that is leaking or opening, spreading redness, or a fall with new severe pain at the operated site. Worsening numbness or weakness after back surgery is also urgent.
Booking before or after discharge
Use the booking page and tell us the operation, the date and the floor. The Ghorpadi area page explains how we handle visit windows, and the article on recovering at home after surgery offers further reading.