If your orthopedic surgeon tells you to follow specific home-care instructions after your procedure, and you don't do as he or she says, you may endanger your health or compromise your surgical site. It's essential that you understand why it's not a good idea to skip the instructions once you get home. Here are two things your surgeon may advise you to do and the consequences you may face if you don't.

Eat a Soft Diet

Some surgical procedures, such as hip joint replacement surgery and back surgery, may require you to eat a soft-food diet once you return home. These types of procedures often require the use of strong medications called anesthesics that make you feel sleepy and groggy after you awake from surgery. 

Eating soft-textured foods reduce your chances of choking if the anesthesia administered to you relaxes the muscles of your throat and stomach muscles and hasn't had sufficient time to wear off. You should keep in mind that certain drugs, such as intravenous sedation, take several days to wear off completely.You can swallow solid or hard-textured foods, like fried chicken or steak, down your air pipe instead of down your throat or esophagus. Once inside the air pipe, solid pieces of meat may block the airways and prevent you from breathing.

A soft-food diet consists of soups, mashed vegetables and malleable protein like tofu and fish. The diet may not appeal to your taste buds, but it's essential that you follow it to regain your strength and to help your bones heal properly. In addition, you won't experience problems swallowing your food because it's soft enough to slide down your throat.

If your soft meals lack flavor or color, add chicken or beef broth to your softly-scrambled eggs and mashed potatoes. You can also add sesame seed oil to your tofu or fish. This natural oil gives protein a nice, nutty flavor you might like.

Your surgeon may also provide instructions on how to keep your surgical site protected after you get home.

Keep Your Surgical Site Dry

Your surgical site may heal faster if you change your wound-care dressings as prescribed. Generally, you must wait at least 72 hours before you make the first dressing change at home. The correct time often depends on the type of bone surgery you have. For example, some knee surgeries require you to wait three days before you change your dressings. Afterward, you may need to change your site's dressings one to three times a day.

You should also avoid placing water or petroleum jelly on the stitches or staples of your surgical site unless the surgeon gives you permission to do so. Bacteria can grow faster on moist skin than on dry, protected skin. Although petroleum jelly doesn't contain water, it may still harbor bacteria from the air once you expose your surgical site to the environment in your home. In most cases, your orthopedic doctor may prescribe special wound-care ointments that keep the site dry but healthy and free of bacteria. You may wish to purchase dressings without adhesives to protect the skin around your surgery site from peeling or chafing. 

If you have questions about how to care for your site or eat properly, ask your bone doctor to demonstrate how to place dressings and an easy-to-prepare menu for your meals.