Your care at Melbourne Knee Centre continues after surgery, with wound reviews, planned follow-ups, rehabilitation guidance and telehealth review when needed.
Your surgeon oversees the surgical side of your recovery, reviews your progress, discusses operative findings and stays involved at key points along the way.
The nursing team helps guide patients through the post-operative process. They may assist with wound care, recovery support, medical screening and practical follow-up care.
Physiotherapists play an important role in rehabilitation and are uniquely placed to see progress over time, when the recovery process may span months. You may see our practice physio for check-in appointments at key times to ensure your progress is on track. The aim is to ensure better communication, and integrated care between the team at Melbourne Knee Centre and your rehab team closer to home, who deliver your day to day rehabilitation.
Many people find their way to Melbourne Knee Centre through their physiotherapist. It’s only natural that they remain central to your recovery after surgery, particularly once the early phase has passed. Where possible, we aim for a shared care recovery philosophy, recognising that each member of your team brings expertise. Outcomes are better when there is good communication between our practice and your therapist.
We encourage local physios to liaise closely with us over recovery plans and milestones – we genuinely appreciate these partnerships and are only a phone call away.
The administrative team helps coordinate your follow-up appointments and gives you a clear plan for reviews and next steps after surgery.
Some patients, particularly those with complex health needs and underlying medical conditions, may also see a perioperative physician to support medical care around surgery and recovery.
Recovery looks different for everyone. Your follow-up plan will depend on your overall health, knee procedure, stage of healing and progress.
It’s important to follow your knee surgeon’s advice for the best chance of a straightforward recovery.
Your first post-operative review is usually around two weeks after surgery. This appointment is used to check your woundreview your progress and address any early concerns.
Some patients need only a small number of reviews. Others, particularly after more involved procedures, may require additional appointments and closer rehabilitation guidance.
Rehabilitation aims to gradually improve your knee’s movement, strength, load tolerance and function after surgery through progressive exercises and regular reviews.
Clearance to return to sport is based on your clinical progress and achievement of functional milestones. The right moment depends on several factors, including the sport itself, the demands it places on your knee, the procedure you’ve had and your rehabilitation progress. It is not based on time since surgery.
Initially, the focus is on healing, restoring movement, rebuilding strength and increasing load tolerance. From there, rehabilitation progresses toward higher-level function such as running, change of direction, jumping, landing and sport-specific control.
Review points and physiotherapy check-ins help ensure recovery is tracking well and that any setbacks are picked up early. Once you do return to sport, we encourage proper warm-ups and regular conditioning exercises to help reduce the risk of reinjury.
Wound care is an important part of healing after surgery. If you are unsure about your dressing, wound care instructions, review timing or recovery plan, please contact us for guidance.
Early clarification can help prevent unnecessary worry and make sure you know what to do next.
Please get in touch if you need to:
We know that travelling to or across the city isn’t necessarily easy.
For routine progress reviews, we are pleased to offer suitable patients the option of a telehealth appointment. This often makes it easier for those living in regional areas.
Telehealth is not suitable for every patient or every stage of recovery, and some appointments still need to be in person. Your surgeon can advise if telehealth appointments are possible in your case.
Post-operative care is designed to provide ongoing support after your procedure, not just on the day of surgery.
To arrange a review, ask a recovery question or discuss telehealth follow-up, please contact Melbourne Knee Centre.