The day of your knee surgery and your hospital stay

Arriving at Aman Hospital

Aman Hospital is in Building 412, Street 310, off Airport Street in the Old Airport area, Zone 47. Allow extra time for traffic and parking, and arrive at the time you were given rather than the time of the operation itself, because there are checks to complete first.

Bring your ID, your medicine list and your medicines in their original boxes, any knee scans and reports, and comfortable loose clothing. Leave jewellery and valuables at home, and remove nail polish if you were asked to. Come with an adult who can take you home, because you must not drive after an anaesthetic.

On the ward before surgery

A nurse checks your identity, allergies, fasting time, blood pressure, temperature and, if you have diabetes, your blood sugar. You change into a hospital gown, and you may be given compression stockings to help prevent clots.

Your surgeon will see you, confirm the operation and the side, mark the correct knee with a pen and go through the consent form. This is a good moment to ask any last questions. The anaesthetist also visits to confirm the anaesthetic plan. Waiting is normal, since the order of the theatre list can change, so bring something to read and let the nurses know if you feel unwell or anxious.

In the operating theatre

You walk or are wheeled into the anaesthetic room or theatre. The team repeats your name, date of birth and the operation, as a standard safety check. A cannula is placed, monitors are attached and the anaesthetic is given, followed by any nerve block.

The skin is cleaned and covered with sterile drapes, and a tourniquet around the thigh may be used to reduce bleeding. How long you spend in theatre depends on the operation: a keyhole procedure is often relatively short, while ligament reconstruction or knee replacement takes longer. Time in the anaesthetic room and recovery adds to this, so your family should expect you to be away for longer than the operation itself.

Waking up in recovery

After surgery you are taken to the recovery room, where nurses monitor your breathing, blood pressure, pain and the circulation and feeling in your foot. If you had a spinal or nerve block, your leg may be numb for some hours.

Your knee will have a dressing, sometimes with a bandage, a cold therapy wrap or a brace. Tell the nurses if you feel sick or sore; they can give medicine straight away. Once you are comfortable and stable, you return to the ward or the day surgery area, where you can usually start sipping water and then eat.

Same-day discharge or an overnight stay

Whether you go home the same day or stay in hospital depends on the operation, your general health, how well your pain is controlled and the support you have at home. Shorter keyhole operations are often done as day surgery, while larger operations such as knee replacement usually involve a stay. The team will tell you beforehand what to plan for, and a planned day case can become an overnight stay if you need more time.

Before you leave, you usually need to be awake, eating and drinking, passing urine, comfortable on tablets and safe getting up with crutches or a frame. A physiotherapist often checks your walking and, if relevant, how you manage a step or stairs.

Before you leave the hospital

• Make sure you understand your medicines, including any blood thinner and how long to take it.
• Ask how to care for the dressing and when you can shower.
• Check whether you can put full weight on the leg and whether any brace should be locked.
• Take your exercise sheet and know when physiotherapy starts.
• Confirm your follow-up appointment and who to call with concerns.
• Arrange for an adult to stay with you for at least the first night.