As knee replacement surgery procedures and implants have continued to improve, the procedure has become more popular among younger individuals. Instead of people in their 70s and 80s having their knees replaced, we’re seeing a large patient base in their 40s, 50s and 60s. That means for many of them, they are still working and plan to be working for a while even after their surgery and recovery is complete.
Because of this, one of the most common questions we receive during an initial consultation with a prospective patient is “How long would I be out of work if I got my knee replaced?” As you might imagine, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to that question because every patient and every job is different. That being said, we can provide you with a ballpark figure and some advice for helping you return to work as soon as safely possible after knee replacement surgery. We cover those topics in today’s blog.
Returning To Work After Knee Replacement Surgery
As we mentioned above, we can’t just say that every worker will be able to return to work exactly this many weeks after a knee replacement operation. Your age, your health and your job requirements mean that every person will have an individualized rehab plan and prospective return to work date, so know that what follows is just general advice for a relatively healthy office worker.
Assuming everything goes as planned during the early recovery stages of your physical therapy and rehabilitation, six to eight weeks post-op tends to be a reasonable return to work date for patients who work in an office or who perform similar sedentary/light work. You certainly won’t be fully recovered by this point, as total recovery can take anywhere from 3 months to a year, but you should be able to perform simple tasks like sitting, standing and walking such that you could return to light duty at work.
Even if you work in an office or perform light duty work elsewhere, you shouldn’t be expected to jump back into a 40-hour week upon your return. Many patients benefit from starting with a few half days or a day on/day off schedule. For the first week or two, it will likely be easier to ease back into a work routine, even if work isn’t all that physical. You’ll still be dealing with pain and discomfort, and even though the work may not be that physical, work tasks will still be a bit uncomfortable, especially if you need to do them for eight straight hours.
If that’s not something your work will allow, or you work a more manual labor position, you will need to to come to grips with the likelihood that your return to work could fall in the 8-14 week range.
Speeding Up Your Return To Work
You may be able to help speed up your return to work date by following some helpful advice throughout your recovery. For example, physical therapy will be your best friend during your recovery. PT is what will draw healthy blood to the area and strengthen key structures that support your knee. The stronger your knee is, the quicker you’ll be able to return to work. That’s not to say that you’ll be able to cut your return to work from eight weeks to four, but many patients who are diligent about sticking to a PT routine can hit the lower ends of the above ranges we’ve mentioned.
Alongside a PT routine, some things you can do to help speed up your return to work following a knee replacement surgery include:
- Partake in physical therapy prior to your surgery.
- Improve your diet to maintain a healthy weight.
- Do all your home-based PT sessions regularly.
- Stay hydrated.
- Manage your painkillers per your doctor’s recommendations.
- Avoid smoking.
- Consult with your surgeon if you have any questions, concerns or signs of an infection.
For more information about returning to work after a knee replacement operation, or to talk to a specialist and get an individualized recommendation based on your specific situation, reach out to Dr. Botero and his team today.
