Blood Clot Prevention
At this RECOVERY HUB you will find guidance on your road to recovery.
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Use this resource as a quick guide to common questions, concerns, and expectations for your early recovery after surgery.
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Remember, Dr. Deans' team is a call away for further guidance and clarification.
Medication + movement + awareness.
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Joint replacement temporarily increases the risk of a blood clot. We lower that risk with a blood-thinning medication and by getting you moving early.
Take your blood thinner exactly as prescribed.
Many standard-risk primary hip and knee replacement patients receive aspirin 81 mg twice daily for 28 days.
Patients with additional risk factors may receive apixaban (Eliquis) or another plan.
Revision surgery, previous anticoagulation, and other medical conditions are handled individually.
Follow your discharge medication list, not another patient’s regimen.
Do not stop early.
Bruising or mild swelling does not automatically mean you should stop the blood thinner. Contact us before changing it unless you are experiencing a medical emergency.
Know the warning signs
A clot in the leg may cause unusual calf tenderness, swelling, warmth, or redness. A clot that travels to the lungs may cause sudden shortness of breath, chest pain, rapid heart rate, fainting, or coughing blood.
Call / Seek Urgent Help
New shortness of breath or chest pain is an emergency - call 911. Contact us promptly for marked calf tenderness/warmth, significant one-sided swelling, or if you have missed your blood-thinner doses.
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Your own discharge instructions and medication list always take priority. This guide is educational and does not replace individualized medical advice.
Institutional Clarification
This website is operated independently and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or representative of Nebraska Medicine or the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Any clinical work performed in partnership with those institutions is conducted separately under institutional policies, governance, and privacy practices.