BOPDHB Patient Resources Hip and Knee joint replacement book - June 2016 | Page 41

• You may receive a small daily injection to help reduce the risk of
developing a blood clot.
• You may have foot pumps attached to your feet whilst in bed.

In hospital

• Your IV cannula will be removed once you have been given a
final dose of antibiotics.

• Nursing staff will assist you with washing and dressing as required.
• You will be encouraged to sit out of bed for meals.
• Your physiotherapist or their assistant will visit you at least once
a day to help you with your exercises and assist you to walk.
• You may receive a visit from a social worker.

Pain relief
Good pain control helps you recover more quickly after your
operation. It is important to tell the doctors or nurses if you
are in pain, do not wait to be asked and do not feel afraid of
being a nuisance. If your pain is well controlled, post-operative
complications are reduced, you sleep better and it helps your body
heal more quickly.
Pain relief is important and some people need more pain relief
medication than others. An assessment scale is used to measure
your pain regularly. The nurses will ask you to rate your pain at
rest and on movement. They may use a number scale of 0 – 10,
0 meaning no pain and 10 being severe pain. It is important that
you are honest about your pain so that you can receive the correct
treatment for you.
Occasionally, despite regular painkillers, you may experience
stronger pain. This may occur during physiotherapy exercises
or walking. You will have additional painkillers prescribed to help
relieve this pain but you have to ask your nurse for these. You must
inform the nurses who will give you these extra painkillers. It is
important that you are comfortable enough to be able to participate
in physiotherapy to help your recovery.

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