After your surgery, the nursing team will help you put on some compression stockings. While not the most attractive accessories, they help control swelling and prevent blood clots. You should wear them during the day for 30 days after surgery, so you may like to purchase an additional pair. We don’t recommend any specific level of compression – so buy whatever is most comfortable for you.
These stockings are notorious for being challenging to put on single-handed, so you may also benefit from one of the cheap but effective devices you can buy, for example on Amazon.
On discharge from hospital or surgical center you will also be provided with a walker. Before you are cleared for release, a physical therapist will make sure that you are familiar with how to use it. You will probably need some sort of walking aid for at least a couple of weeks but everyone is different. You should use walking aids as much and for as long as you need to walk steadily and without a limp.
If you feel you are ready to graduate to a cane – first make sure it is the right height for you. Stand up straight with your arms by your sides. A cane of the right height will line up with the crease of your wrist. To walk with the cane – hold it on your non-operated side and move it forward at the same time as your operated leg.
