Leg rodding surgery therapy advice

Before your operation

Keep yourself as active and as strong as you can. Carry on doing your normal sports, walking and activities, unless you have been told not to by your doctor or physiotherapist.

Talk with your parents and carers to see what every day activities you will need help with at home and at school.

Some problems you may have after your operation include:

• going up and down stairs
• getting around your home
• getting out and about
• going back to school
• bathing and showering
• getting dressed

Talk to your physiotherapist and occupational therapist about what help you might need to help you. They will have an idea of what you can and cannot do after surgery and equipment that is available to help you.

Talk to the doctor in your pre-op appointment. They will let you know if they will need to put a cast on you or not. But sometimes they cannot give you a definite answer. They will also explain what they will do to your leg bone, if you would like to know.

After your operation

When you wake up your leg might be in a cast or it might not. It might feel like you cannot move it much, but you can try to move.

Before the physiotherapist arrives, you can start by seeing if you can move a bit and begin using your muscles. If you find it hard or it is painful do not worry this is normal. Try wiggling your toes first.

Pain

Make sure you tell your nurse or physiotherapist if you find that moving is too painful. The doctors will make sure there is some medicine for you to ease your pain this will help you feel more comfortable so you can move more easily. Movement is important and will help your pain get better faster.

Muscles

Straight after your surgery your muscles may feel like they do not work properly. Do not worry this is normal and it will get better. If you feel nervous or your pain is too much it might make things feel worse. You might be surprised to find you and your muscles feel weaker then usual or more tired. You have to just try your best.

Swollen joints

Your knee joint and hip will be swollen after surgery. The nurses will place your leg on a pillow with your knee straight and tilt the bed backwards to keep the leg elevated. This means that you leg is higher to let the swelling go down. You might find your knee has crepe and wool bandages on to stop it from swelling. Usually this bandage can come off after the first day or two, depending on the surgeons instructions.

Swollen joints can feel stiff and tight, the exercises will help to stop the joints getting too swollen. The watery stuff in swelling is a normal part of the healing process, but it is sticky. The stickiness can make your knee more stiff and tight, especially if you leave it still for too long. Moving your hips, knees and ankles about 10 times each an hour will help prevent this stiff feeling.

The physiotherapist might suggest placing an cold pack on the leg to help with the pain and the swelling.

Exercises

Sometimes the doctor will not know if you need a cast on your leg until they do the operation. You will be asleep in the operation when they decide. This will affect how or if you can do an exercise programme. The physiotherapists will help you do your exercises at first and will come to see you on your first day after the operation, unless this is a Saturday.

You will be given an exercise programme to suit you by the physiotherapist and you will need to keep doing them once you go home too.

Getting out of bed

Getting you out of bed might feel hard work because cannot use your leg to help yourself properly. We will help you and your parents and carers to find the best way of doing this. It is best that we get you up and out of bed as soon as you can.

If you need to borrow a walking frame or crutches we can to lend you some. If you have something already, please bring them with you.

After you have gone home

If an unexpected problem occurs with the wound when you get home please call Ward 2 on 0114 271 7392 or 0114 271 7394.

For cast problems call the plaster room on 0114 717 538.

Continue your exercises

Your hospital physiotherapist or occupational therapist will write to your local physiotherapist or occupational therapist to tell them what operation you have had. If you do not have a physiotherapist we might make a new referral.

Tell your school

The teachers may need to do a risk assessment for you to be able to go back into school, your local physiotherapist or occupational therapist should be able to help with this. Our team can also contact to inform school, but a face to face assessment in school may be needed.

Children over 5 years can borrow a wheelchair through your local British Red Cross.