Post-Surgery Rehabilitation at Home in Sadashiv Peth, Pune

For someone who has had a hip, knee or spine operation, the hospital stay is only the first stage. The harder test often comes at the front door. In a Sadashiv Peth building without a lift, going home after surgery means going up a staircase that may be steep, narrow and unevenly worn, on legs that are still weak and sore.

Our post-surgery rehabilitation guide describes the stages of recovery. This page is about planning for an old building, and about how home physiotherapy fits around the surgeon's instructions.

Planning for the staircase before you leave hospital

The more you settle before discharge, the smoother the first week. It helps to ask the surgeon or ward physiotherapist for the following, and to write the answers down:

• how much weight you may put on the operated leg, and for how long;
• movements to avoid, such as bending the hip beyond a certain angle or twisting the spine;
• whether you may use stairs on arrival, and whether a walking frame or sticks are advised;
• how to look after the wound and when stitches or dressings are due to be checked.

Then think about your home. Count the steps from the street to your door, note which side the rail is on, and decide with the family who will walk behind you on the first climb. Plan where the patient will sleep and where the bathroom is. In a flat, a bed that avoids another staircase makes the early weeks safer.

If the surgeon has advised physiotherapy at home, you can book a first visit for the days after you return, so there is no gap between hospital and home.

What the first home visits concentrate on

The physiotherapist begins by reading the discharge summary and the surgeon's precautions, then looks at the wound area, swelling and pain, and at how you move. After that, the work is practical and specific to your home:

1. Getting in and out of bed and the chair without breaking the movement precautions.
2. Walking with the aid through the rooms, over thresholds and to the bathroom.
3. The stairs. We practise the sequence on your own flight once it is safe, with a helper in the right position, and we agree the plan for the journey to the surgeon's follow-up appointment.
4. Exercises to restore movement and strength in the operated area, in short sets you can do alone.

Pain and swelling are treated as part of this, sometimes with TENS so that you can complete the exercises. If you are an older adult, the surgery is often one of several things to manage, and the approach on our page for elderly physiotherapy in Sadashiv Peth applies as well.

Between visits, with the family

• Keep the walking path clear of loose mats, wires and shoes, especially on the way to the bathroom at night.
• Use a firm chair with arms and, if the surgeon allows, a raised seat.
• Do your exercises at regular times, and walk indoors for short periods often rather than long once.
• Take the pain medicine as prescribed, since poorly controlled pain stops people moving.
• Keep every follow-up appointment, and plan the trip down the stairs in advance with a helper.

Our blog on safe exercise after surgery adds detail.

Warning signs after an operation

Seek urgent medical help for a painful, swollen or warm calf, chest pain, breathlessness, fever, a wound that becomes red, hot or leaks, or sudden loss of the ability to move the limb. Do not wait for the next physiotherapy session.

When you are ready, book a visit. You can also see how home physiotherapy in Sadashiv Peth works, or read about knee pain physiotherapy if your operation involved the knee.