Medical Supplies to Have on Hand for Wound Care After Knee Replacement Surgery

19 August 2020
 Categories: Health & Medical , Blog

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Knee replacement surgery is considered one of the most successful orthopedic surgeries. However, part of the success relies on how well the surgical wound is cared for after a patient goes home for recovery. If you have an upcoming surgery scheduled for knee replacement, it is best if you get prepared in advance. Checking with a medical supply store to get the things you need for wound care is a must. Check out a few of the things you may need to care for your wound that can easily be purchased from a medical supply store. 

Disposable Medical Gloves  

Throughout the entire time that you are caring for your wound during knee replacement recovery, it is critical that you take all the extra precautions to prevent contaminating the wound. Contaminating the wound with bacteria is easy because there are so many types of bacteria and germs that live on the human skin. Pick up a box of disposable medical gloves in your size so you can protect the wound as you are cleaning it and changing dressings. Make sure to only use each pair of gloves one time and dispose of them afterward. Doing so will help thwart your risk of developing an infection. 

Sterile Gauze  

Sterile gauze is soft enough that it will not irritate your wound site, and it may need to be used if you are having excess drainage from the site that is seeping out of the dressing applied by the hospital staff. You can use the gauze by wrapping it gently around the knee and securing it in place with small pieces of medical tape well away from the site of the incision. Even though you may not necessarily need the gauze if all goes well, it will be useful to have on hand just in case. Plus, the gauze can be used to protect the still-healing wound while you clean up. 

Hydrogel Adhesive Bandages 

Hydrogel adhesive bandages will be necessary if you have a lot of drainage from your wound once the initial post-op dressing has been removed. These adhesive bandages are formulated with a special gelling material that would absorb any fluids from the wound as they are secreted and hold the fluids in place until the bandage is changed. The adhesive on these bandages is designed to be gentle on the skin and easy to remove so you do not cause damage to the wound site or pull too hard on stitches.