Postoperative Management

Physiotherapy is an integral component in the effective and cost-efficient management of patients following surgery. Physiotherapists are trained in facilitating the patient's physical recovery, reducing length of hospitalisation and maximising the patient's functional ability and degree of independence.

Benefits of physiotherapy

Physiotherapists are skilled in the management of patients, post-surgery. They work with medical practitioners and patients to:
bullet Enable patients to recover from episodes of hospital care as quickly and safely as possible.
bullet Optimise the results of surgical procedures.
bullet Prevent costly postoperative complications.
bullet Teach patients how to successfully manage their own long-term recovery process.
bullet Facilitate safe, early discharge policies and effective post-discharge care.
bullet Provide effective and cost-efficient health care management based on the individual needs of the patient.
Physiotherapists are trained in designing specific treatment for the patient to avoid complications, particularly chest infection, and facilitate recovery from anaesthetic and surgical procedures.

Educating the patient is an important part of physiotherapy management. Physiotherapists are trained to educate patients about early restricted movement due to post-operative pain and teach patients about soft tissue and bony healing. This vital information is particularly important once the patient is discharged because it helps them to safely and confidently increase movement and exercise without sustaining damage to the healing structures.

Orthopaedic surgery
To determine treatment needs, physiotherapists assess the patient's physical function, including pain, swelling, joint range of movement, muscle power, muscle coordination, mobility status, balance, respiratory condition and level of cardiovascular fitness.

Treatment involves methods to address all these parameters aiming to regain and improve the patient's mobility. Patients are instructed in exercises for hospital and home management and educated in the care of their operated structure once they leave hospital.

Abdominal & Cardiothoracic surgery
Physiotherapists assess the patient's respiratory function and cardiovascular fitness. They are skilled at observation of discrepancies in balance, coordination, muscle weakness and fatigue, work of breathing, and loss of range of movement. Physiotherapy treatment is aimed at prevention of post-operative pulmonary complications, DVT, loss of range of movement and loss of cardiovascular fitness and mobility status. Treatment techniques are aimed at increasing respiratory effort, secretion removal, normalisation of breathing pattern, pain relief, regaining range of movement, improving cardiovascular fitness, posture correction, education in home management including breathing and limb exercises, cardiovascular fitness, limiting restrictions due to medical procedure and secondary prevention.

Finding a physiotherapist

Would you like the names of physiotherapists who have a special interest in Postoperative Management?  This falls under the several categories in our online search - try orthopaedics, cardiothoracic.  [Find a Physiotherapist online now!].

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