Prompt: Total Knee Replacement Post-Operative Instructions
A copy-paste-ready prompt for drafting complete post-operative recovery instructions for a patient following total knee replacement.
Total Knee Replacement Post-Operative Instructions
Use this prompt to draft a complete set of post-operative recovery instructions for a patient following total knee replacement. Review the output against your unit's current protocol before use.
Draft post-operative recovery instructions for a patient aged
[[patient_age — e.g. "67"]] following total knee replacement.
Clinical parameters:
- Weight-bearing: [[weight_bearing — e.g. "full weight-bearing with
frame from day one, progress to crutches by day 3"]]
- Wound care: [[wound_care — e.g. "waterproof dressing in place,
no bathing until wound healed at 2 weeks, shower with dressing covered"]]
- Activity restrictions: [[restrictions — e.g. "no kneeling, no
twisting on the operated leg, no high-impact sport for 3 months"]]
- Exercises: [[exercises — e.g. "physiotherapy starts in hospital
day one, first outpatient appointment within 2 weeks"]]
- Swelling: [[swelling — e.g. "expected for 3–6 months, elevate
leg when resting, ice pack 20 minutes 3 times daily for first 2 weeks"]]
- Driving: [[driving — e.g. "not for 6 weeks"]]
- Return to work: [[work — e.g. "desk work 6–8 weeks, manual work
3 months minimum"]]
- Warning signs to seek urgent help: [[warning_signs — e.g.
"sudden calf or thigh pain or swelling, fever above 38C,
increasing wound redness or discharge, sudden severe knee pain"]]
Use plain English, numbered lists, and clear headings.
Do not include specific drug names or doses.
Why this works
Specifying each parameter separately prevents the tool from using generic post-operative guidance that may not match your surgical approach or unit protocol. The structured format mirrors the sections patients and carers need to navigate at home — wound, mobility, exercise, warning signs — making the document practical to use in a stressful post-operative period.
How to tweak it
- For a patient with diabetes who requires specific wound monitoring, add: "Include a note that patients with diabetes should monitor their wound more closely and report any changes promptly, as healing may take longer."
- For a patient who will be discharged on the same day or day one (enhanced recovery pathway), add: "This patient is being discharged under an enhanced recovery pathway. Include a reassuring note that same-day or next-day discharge is safe and planned."
Remember: AI is a helpful assistant, not a clinician. You make the call.
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