The First Two Weeks After Surgery: What's Normal, What's Not

Expect swelling that peaks around day three to five, bruising that migrates with gravity (spectacular colors included), soreness that multi-modal medication keeps manageable rather than absent, fatigue beyond what seems reasonable, and disrupted sleep. All of it is the biology of early healing, and all of it trends better week over week.

Call your care team promptly for: calf pain or swelling out of proportion (one-sided), chest pain or shortness of breath (call emergency services), fever above your team's threshold, spreading redness or drainage from the incision, pain suddenly escalating after it had been improving, or numbness and color change beyond what you were told to expect. None of these waits for the next appointment.

Job one: swelling control — elevation done correctly (above the heart, frequently) and ice as directed, because swelling is what steals motion. Job two: the prescribed early exercises at the prescribed dose. Not more — enthusiasm has a complication rate — and not less.