Once hip and knee pathology reaches a more severe level, artificial joint replacement surgery may be the most definitive treatment. This article will answer some of the concerns that patients have after joint replacement surgery. 1. How long will I need to stay in the hospital after surgery? Most patients can be discharged from the hospital after arthroplasty after 2 to 3 nights of observation. 2. Will there be severe pain in the wound after surgery? Post-operative pain is common after joint replacement, especially after knee arthroplasty. In order to adequately control the post-operative pain and smoothly carry out rehabilitation exercises, most doctors will prescribe you about 2-4 weeks of anti-inflammatory pain medication when you leave the hospital, and patients should take the medication as prescribed by the doctor. Generally speaking, having taken the pain medication can relieve the pain of the wound to a great extent. If the situation does not improve after taking the medication, please contact your primary care physician immediately. 3.What should I do for post-operative swelling? Swelling of the surgical site and the affected leg after surgery is normal. For the first few weeks, an ice pack can be applied every 3-4 hours for 15 minutes a day to relieve the swelling and pain at the surgical site, which will usually subside after a few weeks. For the month following surgery, it is best to keep sitting between 30 and 45 minutes at a time, as sitting can increase swelling. It is recommended that patients lie with a pillow under their head and four to five pillows under their feet and legs, elevating their legs above their chest, as this will speed up the reduction of swelling. If you are having surgery for knee replacement, be careful to keep your knees straight when lying down. 4. Is it normal to have numbness around the surgical incision? Yes, some patients will have numbness of the skin near the incision on the outer side, but this will improve with time and patients do not need to be overly nervous. 5.Is it normal to feel that one leg is longer than the other after hip surgery? This is normal. Some patients have reduced joint space due to years of joint problems and muscle contracture, and a certain degree of both long and short legs existed before surgery, and the long and short legs may remain after surgery. The purpose of surgery is to restore the patient’s leg length to the same, but limited by the limited size of the prosthesis model, local soft tissue conditions and other factors, your body may need time to adapt to the wear and tear, it is recommended that patients strengthen muscle strengthening during the rehabilitation period, maintain the correct walking posture to speed up the recovery after surgery, after a period of adaptation, most of the short and long legs will disappear. 6.How long after surgery can I drive? Generally speaking, patients are not recommended to drive within 4-6 weeks after surgery. Whether or not you can drive again depends on your individual recovery. Patients are advised to consider driving after being evaluated by their primary care physician. 7. When do I need to contact your primary care physician immediately? If you have sudden pain that is not relieved by painkillers. If you have a fever over 38.5 degrees. If you notice redness, heat, swelling, pain, or pus flowing around the wound. If you have severe calf pain and swelling. It is not possible for every patient to recover the same after the artificial joint is replaced, and it is normal for some to be fast and some to be slow, so patients do not need to be overly nervous. Many people feel that if the wound does not hurt, they do not need to go to the hospital, but this is actually a very wrong idea. The doctor is not only checking the position of the prosthesis during the review, but also needs to adjust the rehabilitation plan according to the patient’s personal situation in order to achieve a better recovery effect.