You should be up out of bed the full day. If you are tired you can take a nap. Otherwise you should not be in bed. You should basically hang around the house like a very lazy weekend day. You should get up and walk around frequently with you crutches. You can read watch TV or use the computer. You will be on narcotics for about 3-5 days after discharge, so your thinking may be muddled and you may be a bit groggy.

You should walk for exercise twice daily. At first, in the hospital, you are walking several hundred feet. You should gradually increase the walking distance at home until you are walking one to 1-1/2 miles a day by week 6. You will be able to climb stairs as well. Most people are able to start going foot over foot with the rail by 4-6 weeks. Most patients use crutches for 2 weeks and then a cane in the opposite hand for another 2 weeks.

Don’t try to advance more rapidly than our instructions recommend. You won’t heal faster with more exercise; you will just risk hurting yourself. We have seen patient break their wound open, severely strain their weakened muscles or even get a stress fracture with too much activity too early. If you don’t do much, there will be no harm; there will be plenty of time for vigorous exercise when you are more fully healed. No impact activities or lifting more than 50 pounds are allowed for the first 6 months; thereafter restrictions are lifted.

As soon as you have stopped taking narcotics, you may drive. You should use an automatic car with the right foot on the gas pedal. If your right leg was operated on, you need to be comfortable using the left leg on the brake for about 6 weeks. This is because in an emergency, it is difficult to slam the foot of the operated leg on the brake hard and fast enough. Most people can resume normal driving at 6 weeks.

Most people return to office work at 2 weeks after surgery. For doctors, dentists and others who spend time standing and walking, a lighter schedule is recommended starting at 2 weeks after surgery. Pilots can return to flying at 6 weeks. People who have jobs that require walking can do this at 6 weeks. Deep bending squatting heavy lifting and impact activities (running, jumping, sports) and heavy labor are not allowed for 6 months.