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PREPARING FOR SURGERY

How to maximize the success of your surgery

Preparing for Surgery

We need to continue to work on your range of motion – especially extension! Once we have extension, we need to work on strength training.
Remember the stronger you are before surgery, the stronger and faster you will recover after surgery!

Goals:

  1. Get full knee extension (straightening)
  2. Get full knee flexion (bending)
  3. Limit swelling
  4. Build muscle and strength

Key Exercises:

  1. Forced Knee Extension
  2. Stationary Bike
    • Add resistance
    • Standing is ok

Strengthening Activities:

  1. Swimming (all strokes except breast stroke)
  2. Biking with resistance (stationary or regular)
  3. Weight lifting ( e.g. squats, leg press, lunges, leg extension, leg curls: 3 sets of 6-10, 3 days a week)
  4. You need to train hard! Again stronger into surgery – stronger out of surgery!

Activities to Avoid:

  1. Running or jogging.
  2. Cutting or quickly changing direction
  3. Any jumping or practicing landing
  4. No playing any sports!

Emory WatchWell: Pain App

Dr Xerogeanes has many ongoing ACL research projects. As his patient you will be asked to participate by downloading the WatchWell application and completing the tasks as they are assigned. You will be asked to log your post operative medications 3x/day for 4 days and complete a few short surveys throughout your recovery process. You will begin with a survey in pre-op on the day of your surgery, and we will review how to log the post-op medications. All of your information is protected and WatchWell is HIPAA compliant.

  • Download the WatchWell application prior to your ACL
    surgery date.

  • Open the app and select “New User” at the bottom of the
    Log In page.

  • Enter your preferred email address or cell phone number
    that you provided at your pre-op appointment.

  • You will receive an email from Synchrony with an activation
    code.

    • If you don’t see the email in your main inbox, please
      check your spam/junk mail.

  • Enter the activation code to complete the account
    registration.

  • Under settings, please allow push notifications

  • You’re all done! The day of your surgery, we will walk you
    through the surveys to complete.

  • You are asked to record medication use 3x/day for four days
    after surgery. You will also record if you were able to perform
    a straight leg raise, how much knee pain you have, where the
    pain is located, and any side effects you believe are related to
    these medications.
Record data in the app for 4 days after surgery.
Please contact us at: 404-778-7137