About this topic
A tendon is a strong band of tissue that connects muscles to bones. If this band of tissue is damaged, you may need surgery to repair it. Then, the joint by your injured tendon may be able to move normally and not hurt. ‚
View OriginalView Original
What care is needed at home?
Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do. Talk to your doctor about: ‚
- When you should change your bandages
- How to care for your cut sites
- When you may take a bath or shower
- If you need to be careful with lifting things over 10 pounds
- When you may go back to your normal activities like work or driving
Be sure to wash your hands before touching your wound or dressing. ‚
What follow-up care is needed?
- Your doctor will ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits.
- You may have a cast, brace, or splint. Follow your doctors orders for how long you need to wear it.
- If you have stitches or staples, you will need to have them taken out. Your doctor will often want to do this in 1 to 2 weeks.
- If your surgery was in your foot or knee, you may not be able to put weight on your foot until it heals. You may need to use crutches or a walker to help you to get around.
- You may have to see a physical therapist (PT). The PT will teach you exercises to help get back your strength and motion. Ask your therapist how long you will need to do these exercises.
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Help with pain and swelling
- Prevent infection
Will physical activity be limited?
You may need to rest for a while. You should not do physical activity that makes your health problem worse. If you run, work out, or play sports, you may not be able to do these things until your health problem gets better. ‚
What problems could happen?
- Bleeding
- Infection
- Joint stiffness
- Tendon or joint may not work as well as before it was hurt
- Tendon tears or ruptures again after surgery
- Scarring or adhesions
What can be done to prevent this health problem?
- Take breaks often when doing things that use the same movement over and over.
- Stay active and work out to keep your muscles strong and flexible.
- Warm up slowly and stretch before you work out. Use good ways to train, such as slowly adding to how far you run. Do not work out if you are overly tired. Take extra care if working out in cold weather.
- Keep a healthy weight. Being heavy puts more stress on your joints. This makes them more likely to be hurt.
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Signs of infection. These include a fever of 100.4 ‚ °F (38 ‚ °C) or higher, chills, wound that will not heal.
- Signs of wound infection. These include swelling, redness, warmth around the wound; too much pain when touched; yellowish, greenish, or bloody discharge; foul smell coming from the cut site; cut site opens up.
- Very bad pain, even after you have taken drugs for pain
- Cast, splint, or dressings become wet, dry, or broken
- Skin below your cast, splint, or dressing becomes cold or discolored. You feel numb or tingly below your cast, splint, or dressing.
- You are not feeling better in 2 to 3 days or you are feeling worse
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my procedure.
- I can tell you how to care for my cut site.
- I can tell you what I will do if I have more pain or numbness or tingling below my cast, splint, or dressing.
Where can I learn more?
NHS Choices ‚
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/tendonhand/pages/introduction.aspx ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
Copyright
Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚