Recovery & Rehab

One of the most common questions patients ask before knee replacement surgery is simple: how long until I'm back to normal? The honest answer is that recovery happens in stages, and it looks a little different for everyone. The First Few Days Most patients begin walking with support — a frame or crutches — within a day of surgery. Many knee replacements are now performed as a short in-patient stay or even a day case, with early mobilisation actively encouraged as it supports

Numbers and timelines are useful, but they don't always capture what a knee replacement recovery actually looks like day to day. With one patient's kind permission, here's a real journey through the first four weeks, in photos. Day of Surgery: Marking the Side Before any operation, the surgical site is clearly marked as part of routine safety checks — confirming the correct side and site with the patient while fully awake. It's a small, procedural moment, but an important one