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
Rehabilitation after surgery happens in stages: settle pain and swelling, restore movement, rebuild strength, then return to normal activity, always within the limits your surgeon sets. Our post-surgery rehabilitation guide outlines those stages.
This page deals with the practical side of recovering at home in Swargate after a knee or hip replacement, a fracture fixation or spine surgery.
Before you leave hospital
A little planning saves a difficult evening. Ask the ward team exactly what you are allowed to do: how much weight the leg can take, which movements to avoid, how long to use the walker. Then think about the journey home. A car seat pushed right back is easiest; an auto-rickshaw works only if you can manage the step in. Arrange for someone to meet you at the building. If you live up a flight of stairs, let the physiotherapist know before discharge so the first visit can be timed to help with it.
The first week at home
- Stairs. The first climb is practised with the physiotherapist: the stronger leg leads going up, the operated leg leads coming down, with the walking aid and rail used as taught.
- Bathroom. A commode chair or raised seat if the toilet is low or Indian-style, a non-slip mat, and a plastic chair for bathing.
- Bed and chair. A firm chair with arms is far easier to stand from than a soft sofa. Getting in and out of bed is practised on the side you will actually use.
- Swelling. Short walks spread through the day, ankle pumps, and the leg raised on pillows when resting.
From the room to the lane
As the wound heals and pain settles, sessions shift towards strength and walking. The targets move outwards: the length of the flat, then the corridor or courtyard, then the lane, then the stairs without help. After a knee replacement, how far the knee bends and straightens is measured at every visit; after hip surgery, the precautions your surgeon gave are respected until they are lifted.
For advice specific to knees, see knee pain physiotherapy in Swargate. Older patients whose balance was already shaky before the operation may need the wider approach on elderly physiotherapy in Swargate.
Working with your surgeon
The surgeon's instructions come first. If they differ from something you read online or hear from a neighbour, follow the surgeon. Bring your follow-up dates to the first session so that exercises can be progressed in step with the reviews, and note any questions for the surgeon as they come up.
Signs to report straight away
A wound that turns red, hot or starts to discharge, a fever, or a calf on the operated side that becomes painful and swollen should be reported to the surgeon promptly. Sudden breathlessness or chest pain after an operation is an emergency.
Hirabaug has its own post-surgery page, and our article on physiotherapy after a knee replacement covers that operation step by step. To have a physiotherapist visit after discharge, book here; more on visits is on the Swargate page.