Important: If you have ever before had a blood clot, make sure your doctor knows about it. This could influence the way your anesthesia is administered. Also, men considered at higher risk of developing a blood clot may have a stronger blood-thinning medication administered by IV throughout their stay in the hospital. These preventive treatments are highly successful in preventing a blood clot from forming in the lungs.
Exercise is another crucial factor in helping to avert blood clots. Walking is good; it pumps blood back to the heart. Walk as soon as you’re allowed to after surgery. Your doctor probably will encourage you to do dorsiflexion exercises —pumping your feet up and down to exercise the calf muscles. Do them often, about 100 times an hour in between naps. Also, it’s a good idea not to sit upright in a firm chair (with your legs hanging down) for more than an hour at a time during the first four weeks. Try to sit with your legs elevated on a sofa, reclining chair, or comfortable chair with a footstool, as much as possible. This accomplishes two goals: One, because it raises your feet, it improves the blood flow from the veins in your legs. Two, it protects the area of surgery from bearing your full weight.
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