Recovering after knee surgery can be tough as the pain can be extreme. Whether you are having ACL surgery, MCL surgery, or any other type of knee surgery, physical therapy is crucial to your recovery. While seeing a physical therapist is no doubt part of the recovery process after knee surgery, there are a handful of in-home modalities that can be used to help expedite the recovery process. Pacific Biomedical is a Durable Medical Equipment company based in greater Phoenix that delivers in-home therapy systems to residents of the Phoenix Valley who are recovering from knee surgery. If you are researching different therapy systems for your knee recovery, it is likely due to the suggestion of your doctor. The Pacific Biomedical team is trained to deliver and set-up your knee surgery recovery systems based on the suggestions from your health-care provider and will guide you through the workings of the modality so that you feel confident in changing the settings and operating it on your own. Knee surgery recovery can be tough both mentally and physically, but with the right in-home therapy systems, your recovery can be comfortable and speedy.
What are the different types of knee surgery
Most knee surgeries involve arthroscopy, which is a surgical technique that is used to repair various types of knee problems including a total knee replacement. This procedure consists of inserting a long, thin instrument into the patient’s body through small incisions and can diagnose and treat a wide range of knee problems. For arthroscopic knee surgery, the surgeon inserts the arthroscopic (a probe with a small camera attached in order to display pictures on a video monitor to help guide the surgeon’s work as they move through the body and more specifically, the knee. Surgical instruments are then inserted into the joint through a second incision where the surgeon will perform the appropriate procedures in order to repair the injured knee.
The most common types of knee surgeries include:
- Removal or repair of a torn meniscus – this is a type of cartilage in your knee that cushions and stabilizes the joint
- Reconstruction of a torn ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) – the ACL is a ligament that helps stabilize the knee joint
- Removal of inflamed connective tissue (synovial joints)
- Trimming of damaged articular cartilage
- Removal of loose fragments of bone or cartilage due to injury
- Treatment of knee sepsis – an infection in the knee that can be life-threatening if not taken care of quickly
- Repairs to damaged kneecap
- Full knee replacement
What to Expect After Your Knee Surgery in Phoenix
Knee surgeries require either general anesthesia, which puts you to sleep completely during the surgery or a spinal/epidural which will numb you from the waist down. Depending on the type of knee surgery you are receiving, one may be required over the other. When you wake up from your knee surgery in Phoenix, you will likely have a drainage tube connected to your knee to collect blood and an IV inserted in your arm to give medication and replace fluids. It is likely that you will also be wearing some type of compression socks to help with blood flow. Your recovery after knee surgery starts immediately after surgery. From simple ankle movements to breathing exercises, the first few days of recovery are crucial as you need to keep the blood flowing throughout your legs (knees) and entire body in general. Often times it is required to start walking the same day as your orthopedic surgery as it is crucial to get the joints moving in order to prevent further issues.
Returning home from knee surgery can be scary as there will be pain and discomfort for a little while as you recover. It is likely that you will have to adjust to a new normal as your mobility will be hindered. Talking with your healthcare provider prior to your knee surgery will help you understand the different measures you will need to take within your home to prepare for your post-surgery recovery. Things like making sure you have a place to sleep that is downstairs, moving furniture so that you have an unobstructed path to the bathroom or kitchen, or ensuring you have the right crutches or cane to help you get from point A to point B are all crucial for your knee surgery recovery experience. The key to your recovery from knee surgery is to make the experience as painless as possible while still actively working to regain strength and movement.
Once you are home, physical therapy will be a crucial component of your recovery. While meeting with a physical therapist is necessary, there are also in-home modalities that can be used in conjunction with your physical therapy to help expedite your recovery in a natural, healthy manner. The Continuous Passive Motion device by Pacific Biomedical is the perfect additive to your recovery because it is built to gently move your knee up and down, keeping the muscles around your knee strong, the joints moving and increases blood flow. CPM is a key component to recovery after knee surgery because it is a treatment method specifically designed to aid recovery after joint surgery. After extensive knee surgery, attempts at joint motion can cause pain and as a result, the patient fails to move the joint. This then causes the tissue around the joint to become stiff creating scar tissue to form resulting in a joint that has a limited range of motion and often may take months of physical therapy to recover that full range of motion.
Learn How CPM Can Help With Your Knee Surgery Recovery
The technique in which a joint, usually the knee, is moved constantly through a variable range of motion to prevent stiffness and to increase the range of motion; most often accomplished using a motorized device specifically designed to relieve pain after surgery or injury to major joints of upper and lower extremities.
Benefits of Using CPM for A Speedy Knee Surgery Recovery
- Increases range of motion in a natural way by bending the joint in slow motions without using knee muscles
- Muscles get stronger quicker – even though you are not physically doing the work, the CPM machine helps to keep the muscles active and strong
- Increased blood flow do to the continuous motion
- May have less pain as it is working the joints, tendons, ligaments, and muscles to ensure they do not become stiff
- Helps stimulate cartilage cell regrowth for a speedy recovery
- Can help lessen the number of pain killers needed during your knee surgery recovery
Recover After Knee Surgery With Compression Therapy
Cold Compression Therapy recommended by surgeons after orthopedic surgery to help reduce pain and swelling. The therapy is especially useful for pulled muscles and pulled ligaments, which are often repaired during knee surgery. The compression therapy device created by Pacific Biomedical is unique because it has 3 different components – hot, cold, and compression therapies.
Why Choose Pacific Biomedical For Your Knee Surgery Recovery Devices in Phoenix
Pacific Biomedical has been providing Durable Medical Equipment (DME) products to patients in the home since 2007 serving over 18,000 Arizona patients. Our experience and focus are delivering therapeutic modalities to patients for their In-Home recovery after surgery. We serve all of Greater Phoenix, helping patients all over the valley recover after surgery with our in-home therapy systems.
Our 24/7 In-Home Patient Program provides the convenience of home delivery, set-up, and pickup for all Post-Operative surgical needs.
We’re a Medicare Accredited facility and Certified by the BOC with over 40 years of Combined Durable Medical Equipment experience.
Our extensive experience includes operating DME programs within ambulatory surgery centers, small specialty surgical hospitals, and physician practices.
Our ownership group takes great pride in the team we have in place to work with you and we understand that we must innovate every day to provide our team with the training, skills, processes, and support required to allow them to utilize their unique talents and experience. You will not find a more dedicated team in Phoenix to help you with your post knee surgery recovery.
