12. What To Expect After Total Joint Replacement Surgery

Hospital Stay
• Most patients are in the hospital for 1-2 nights. Once you clear physical therapy
and you are medically stable, the doctor signs your discharge orders. A visiting
nurse as well as a physical therapist will continue to work with you at home.
(Contact the Discharge Planning Team with any home health care questions: 212-606-1920)
• A physical therapist will begin working with you on the day of surgery if you are
alert. In order to clear physical therapy, you will learn how to get in and out of
bed on your own, walk about 1 00 feet, and walk up and down stairs.

Pain Control after Joint Replacement Surgery
• Dr. Amar Ranawat uses the “Ranawat Cocktail” injection in your joint space
during surgery.
• After the injection wears off, you will continue to receive scheduled pain relief
medication.
• We use a Numeric Rating Scale to assess your pain relief. A numeric value of 0
symbolizes no pain and a numeric value of 10 symbolizes the worst pain
imaginable.
• If your pain is not controlled, alert your assigned hospital nurse and he/she
can provide additional medication. If you continue to have unrelieved pain,
alert the nurse and he/she will inform Dr. Ranawat.
• Pain tends to increase after physical therapy and overnight. If you have an
existing pain level of 4/10 one hour prior to these activities, ask for additional
pain medication from your nurse. Pain medication takes around one hour to begin
working.

Typical Pain Management for Total Hip Replacement Patients
• Celebrex 200 mg daily xlO days
• Oxycodone 5 mg every 4 to 6 hours as needed for pain
• Tylenol 650 mg every 6 hours as needed
• Dilaudid as needed for breakthrough pain (not all patients receive this
prescription)
• Ultram 50 mg every 6 hours as needed for pain.
• Aspirin 325 mg twice daily OR Coumadin daily x6 weeks for blood clot
Prevention

Typical Pain Management for Total Knee Replacement Patients
• Celebrex 200 mg daily x6 weeks
• Oxycodone 5 mg every 4 to 6 hours as needed for pain
• Tylenol 650 mg every 6 hours as needed
• Dilaudid 500-5 mg as needed for breakthrough pain
• Ultram 50 mg every 6 hours as needed for pain.
• Aspirin 325 mg twice daily OR Coumadin daily x6 weeks for blood clot
Prevention

Take two Advil a day for persistent pain past six weeks post surgery.

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