Hospital for Special Surgery · #1 Ranked Hospital for Orthopedics, U.S. News & World Report|For appointments call (646) 885-5950
Kyle N. Kunze, MD Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Surgeon Cartilage Restoration · Joint Preservation Hip · Knee · Shoulder · Regenerative Medicine
Patient Resources

General Tips After Surgery

Recovery is predictable in stages. Knowing what each stage should feel like makes it easier to recognize normal progress — and to identify the few situations that warrant a call.

Immediately After

The First 48 Hours

You will wake in the recovery area, where nursing staff monitor you until the anesthesia has worn off. Most arthroscopic procedures are performed as outpatient surgery, meaning you go home the same day.

Expect the operative limb to feel numb if a regional nerve block was used. Sensation typically returns over 12 to 24 hours, and pain increases as the block wears off — start your prescribed pain medication before that happens rather than waiting.

Elevate the limb above the level of your heart and apply ice or a cooling device for 20 minutes at a time. Never put ice directly on the skin. An ice machine may also be available to use for more comprehensive swelling control and you may talk to Dr. Kunze's office about obtaining one. Swelling control in the first two days pays dividends for weeks.

Nutrition

Peri-Operative Nutrition

Preparing for surgery asks a lot of you at once, and what you eat is easy to push down the list. It shouldn’t be. The food you put in your body in the weeks around your operation influences your outcome as directly as arranging physical therapy, lining up help at home, or adapting your space to your postoperative restrictions.

The goal of proper nutrition is to raise your physiologic function before, during, and after surgery so that recovery starts from the strongest possible baseline. Part of that is education and reducing anxiety before the day; part of it is careful anesthetic management of fluid, temperature, pain, and nausea during the case. A major part of it is simply what is on your plate.

You can begin your recovery today, before you ever reach the operating room.

How food choices affect your recovery

Fluids, electrolytes, and protein are the three that matter most. Start at breakfast: a high-protein meal with colorful fruit such as berries. Reaching 30–45 grams of protein in the morning keeps you full and gives your body the raw material and energy it needs for healing.

Foods that optimize recovery and healing

Build your plate around protein, vegetables, and healthy fats, and keep fluids steady throughout the day. The following are the highest-yield choices in the weeks before and after your operation.

Protein at every meal
Protein supplies the amino acids your body uses to rebuild tendon, muscle, and bone. Aim for 30–45 grams per meal from lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, beans, lentils, or tofu. Spreading it across the day works better than loading it all into dinner.
Colorful vegetables and berries
Deeply colored produce delivers vitamin C, polyphenols, and antioxidants that support collagen formation and help regulate the inflammatory response. Berries, leafy greens, peppers, broccoli, and cruciferous vegetables are the highest-value choices.
Healthy fats
Olive oil, avocado, nuts, seeds, and fatty fish such as salmon supply omega-3 fatty acids, which help modulate inflammation and provide steady energy without spiking blood sugar.
Fluids and electrolytes
Steady hydration supports circulation to healing tissue and helps counter the constipation that comes with reduced activity and pain medication. Water is the foundation; add electrolytes if your intake has been poor or you have been sweating.
Vitamin D, calcium, and zinc
These support bone healing and immune function. Dairy, fortified foods, eggs, and fish cover most of it — continue any supplementation our team recommended based on your preoperative labs.
Fiber for regularity
Vegetables, berries, nuts, and seeds keep the bowel moving while you are on narcotic pain medication, which is the most common non-surgical complaint of the first week.

Why nutrition matters: surgery is a metabolic stress

Surgery is not only a mechanical repair. From the moment it begins, the body responds as it would to a controlled injury: inflammation rises, stress hormones increase, blood sugar regulation is temporarily disrupted, and muscle begins to break down faster than normal. Without enough fuel, that response leads to muscle loss, slower tendon and cartilage healing, higher infection risk, lingering fatigue, and a longer road back to activity. Good nutrition does not replace surgery, but it can strengthen or undermine the result.

Before surgery: building a reserve

Recovery starts in the weeks before your operation. Patients who arrive well nourished tolerate the stress of surgery better and begin rehabilitation from a stronger baseline.

Protein target
Surgical patients generally need more protein than standard recommendations, often in the range of 1.6–2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight per day. For a 175-lb (80 kg) adult, that is roughly 130–175 grams daily, spread across meals. If you have kidney disease, ask us before increasing protein.
Quality and leucine
Complete proteins rich in the amino acid leucine (dairy, eggs, meat, fish, soy) most effectively switch on muscle protein synthesis. Essential amino acid supplements can help if your diet falls short.
Collagen with vitamin C
Tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and meniscus are built largely from collagen. Taking collagen or gelatin together with a vitamin C source in the weeks around surgery provides the building blocks for connective tissue repair.
Creatine
Creatine supports cellular energy and may help limit muscle loss during periods of reduced activity. It is one of the most studied and well-tolerated supplements; ask us whether it is appropriate for you.
Correct deficiencies early
Low vitamin D, zinc, magnesium, or iron can impair immune function, inflammation control, and wound healing. We may check labs and recommend supplements before your surgery date.

After surgery: fueling the repair

After surgery the body is in a high-demand, muscle-wasting state at exactly the time appetite is lowest. Muscle loss can begin within days, especially when a limb is immobilized or you cannot bear weight. Treat nutrition during this window as part of your treatment.

Increase protein further
Needs often rise to about 2.0–2.5 grams per kilogram per day in early recovery. Distributing intake across the day helps maintain muscle-building signals despite inflammation and inactivity.
Use liquid nutrition when appetite is poor
Pain, medication, and anesthesia commonly blunt appetite. Protein shakes and smoothies are an easier way to meet protein and calorie targets in the first days to weeks.
Time collagen around therapy
Taking collagen with vitamin C roughly 30–60 minutes before rehabilitation sessions may support remodeling of repaired ligaments, tendons, cartilage, and labrum.
Do not under-eat
Many patients eat less because they are less active, but healing raises energy needs. Under-eating can delay recovery, weaken immune function, and prolong fatigue. This is especially important if you take a GLP-1 medication (such as semaglutide or tirzepatide) that suppresses appetite; tell us so we can plan around it.

Returning to activity

As rehabilitation progresses, the goal shifts from preserving tissue to rebuilding strength. Protein remains essential, and carbohydrates become increasingly important to fuel harder therapy sessions and training. Continuing creatine and collagen during this phase may further support strength gains and tissue remodeling.

Supplements should complement, not replace, a balanced diet. Please review any supplements with our team before surgery, as some can affect bleeding, anesthesia, or medications.

What to limit or avoid

Managing stress around surgery matters physiologically, not just emotionally. The stress response raises cortisol, and sustained high cortisol pushes the body toward insulin resistance and elevated blood sugar — both of which slow healing and lengthen recovery. For that reason, it is worth avoiding foods that spike insulin.

Grains
Whole grains are a normal part of a balanced diet, but they are pro-inflammatory for many people — particularly anyone with insulin resistance, prediabetes, diabetes, or excess abdominal weight. Where possible, keep grains to a minimum in the weeks around surgery and build meals around protein and vegetables instead. If you are still hungry after a protein-and-vegetable meal, a small portion is acceptable; keep it as small as you comfortably can.
Sweetened drinks
Skip juice and sugar-sweetened beverages during the perioperative period. The added sugar triggers a hormonal response that can raise blood pressure and work against wound healing.
Off-the-shelf protein shakes
Familiar shakes like Ensure and Boost are closer to milkshakes than supplements, and can impair wound healing while adding unwanted weight. If you need a supplement, look for one with at least 25 grams of protein, fewer than 5 grams of carbohydrate, and no sucralose — Isopure, Naked Whey, Vega Sport, and Owyn are reasonable options.
Sugary foods
High-sugar foods raise blood glucose and slow healing at the surgical wound.
Alcohol
Alcohol during the perioperative window adds physiologic stress, increasing inflammation and cellular damage at exactly the wrong time.
Processed foods
Highly processed foods raise inflammation and stress within the body, which delays postoperative healing.
Practical Care

Managing the First Weeks

Pain management
A multimodal approach — acetaminophen, anti-inflammatories when permitted, ice, and elevation — limits the need for opioids, which are prescribed sparingly and briefly.
Wound care
Keep the incision clean and dry. Follow the specific instructions for showering; do not submerge the wound in a bath or pool until cleared.
Blood clot prevention
Frequent ankle pumps, short walks, and any prescribed blood thinner reduce clot risk. Move often, in small doses.
Sleep
Sleeping upright or with the limb supported on pillows is common for the first weeks. This normalizes as swelling improves.
Safety

When to Call the Office

Fever above 101.5°F, or drainage, spreading redness, or worsening pain at the incision.
Calf pain, swelling, or shortness of breath — these require prompt evaluation for a blood clot.
Numbness or tingling that is worsening rather than improving, or an inability to move the toes or fingers.
Pain that is no longer controlled by your prescribed regimen.
Any concern that does not feel right to you. Our office would rather hear from you early.

Recovering and Have a Question?

Postoperative concerns are always welcome — call our office.

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