On the day of the operation you will be taken to the operating theatre on a trolley with a nurse from the ward escorting you. Upon arrival there, a member of staff from the operation theatre will ask you a fairly long list of questions which you may find irksome as you would have already provided the answers previously. However, these questions are a means of doublechecking that all the safety precautions about your surgery have been taken. The nurse will then escort you to the anaesthesia room where you will be given an anaesthetic (put to sleep) and then transferred to the operating theatre where the surgery will take place.
After the operation you will be cared for in the Recovery area where nurses trained in the care of patients waking up from general anaesthesia will look after you. After you have 'woken up' sufficiently, which is usually an hour or two later, you will be transported back to your ward. You will be experiencing some discomfort in the knee at this time, but regular painkillers will keep your pain under control. You may also be asked to keep an oxygen mask on your face to help in your recovery from the anesthesia. You will be receiving an intravenous drip through the first night after the operation to make up for the blood lost during the surgery. It may also be necessary to give you a blood transfusion.
About 4 hours or so after the surgery you will be allowed to take some liquids by mouth and if your are not feeling nauseous, you may be given a light meal later. The nurses will be keeping a close eye on you and taking frequent checks of your pulse, temperature and blood pressure. They will also remove your surgical stockings for a short period to check your heels for signs of undue pressure. Each evening, starting from the day of the operation, you will receive an injection of a blood thinner called low molecular weight heparin. The injection reduces the risk of forming a blood clot in the veins. You will also receive two injections of antibiotics at about 8 and 16 hours after your operation to reduce the risk of developing an infection in your operated knee.