Symptoms After Joint Surgery
What’s Normal and What’s Not

You’ll notice a number of symptoms after your joint replacement surgery—some normal, some warranting a call to your surgeon or even emergency medical care. 

Don’t hesitate to call us if you’re concerned about any of your symptoms. Here’s a look at what to expect and what to watch out for.

Normal post-op symptoms in the first few weeks may include:

• Low-grade fever – This is a normal body response to surgery. Contact your surgeon about any fever higher than 101 degrees F (a possible sign of infection) or if your low-grade fever lasts longer than 2 weeks.

• Fatigue – Blood loss during surgery, medications, the recovery work your body is doing, sleep disruption, loss of appetite and even anxiety or depression can contribute to feelings of fatigue and weakness after a joint replacement. It can take weeks to get your energy back and up to a year to fully recover. Balance your physical therapy exercises and daily walking with rest, and let your surgeon know if fatigue is significantly interfering with your recovery.

• Loss of appetite – For some patients, this side effect can last for a few weeks. Contact your surgeon if you’re unable to stay nourished or have concerns about your appetite loss.

• Constipation – This is typically a side effect of prescription pain medication. Check out these tips for relief. 

• Insomnia – This is another common symptom after surgery. Check out these tips for relief. 

Normal things you may notice about your new joint:

• Swelling around the joint that was operated on or around the lower leg

• Warmth around the joint

• “Pins and needles” feeling at or near the incision

• Dark or red incision line

• Bumps under the skin along the incision

• Clicking noise with motion

• Increased bruising if you’re taking aspirin or a blood thinner (such as Lovenox or Coumadin)

• After knee surgery, skin numbness on the outer part of your knee

Seek immediate medical care if you notice:

Signs of Infection

• Increased redness, particularly spreading from incision 

• Increased pain and swelling; some swelling is normal, but be aware if your symptoms worsen 

• Fever greater than 101 degrees F and/or shaking chills 

• Persistent drainage from your wound

Signs of Blood Clot

• Calf swelling or pain, particularly associated with ankle motion 

• Ankle swelling that does not decrease or resolve overnight

Other Problems

• Bleeding gums or blood in urine/stool (blood thinner level may be too high)

• Frequent urination or a burning sensation when urinating

This service is not intended to provide individual medical advice, which should only be obtained directly from a qualified physician or healthcare professional. Your personal information will never be used for any purpose other than to help educate and support you. You may opt out at any time with no effect to the delivery of your care or health benefits.