Recovering from a leg surgery isn’t as easy as it looks. Missing out on even a slight bit of detail for caring for the operated area could put the patient in a whole lot of trouble. Alongside the prescribed medication, an advantageous piece of medical garment that serves so many benefits to a patient in his post-operative period is a compression sock. By applying a firm graduated pressure to the leg, compression socks improve blood circulation throughout the leg, ultimately making it easier for the leg to push back blood to the heart. But that’s not all about how circulation compression socks are meritorious for individuals recovering from surgery. Read on, as in this blog, we’re going to cover in detail how compression socks’ enhanced circulation benefits a patient in his post-operative period.
How Does Enhanced Blood Circulation Benefit A Patient?
Compression socks aren’t your daily wear socks. Their whole working mechanism is based on simple criteria, making it easier for the legs to push back blood to the heart. Due to surgery, the elementary-looking task of propelling blood becomes burdensome for the legs, which becomes the root cause of life-threatening ailments like DVT, venous thromboembolism (VTE), and more. By wearing compression stockings, you take off excess pressure from the legs, which enhances blood circulation. Here’s how this better blood circulation is helpful for a patient recovering from surgery.
1. Saves Them From The Risk Of Blood Clots
Undergoing leg surgery puts the patient at more risk of developing a blood clot, like deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). This risk can last up to 6 weeks after the surgery. It’s seen that the overall risk of DVT is more than 20% after a major surgery and more than 40% after an orthopedic surgery. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) can cause issues like swelling, skin problems, and ulcers. If neglected, blood clots formed in the legs can even travel to the lungs, resulting in pulmonary embolism (PE), causing sudden death. The gradually decreasing pressure of compression socks as they move up helps enhance blood circulation and prevent blood pooling in the veins, ultimately diminishing the chances of blood clot formation.
2. Helps Reduce Swelling
One big cause for swelling or edema after a leg surgery is fluid buildup in the tissues. Usually, it happens because the body’s fluid balance is getting disrupted due to surgery. While a bit of swelling is considered normal as a part of the normal healing process, ignoring this common ailment isn’t advised. To combat this issue, compression socks seem to be an ideal solution. The gentle compression applied helps blood flow more optimally towards the heart and prevents it from getting pooled in the legs, eventually reducing swelling and its related inconveniences.
3. Fastens Recovery Period
It could take anywhere from several weeks to even a few months for an individual to recover from a leg surgery, depending on the severity of the injury and the type of procedure adopted. While medications play an important role in helping the patient recover fast, the cruciality of compression socks can never be overlooked. The ample pressure applied by this medical garment on the legs facilitates an optimum blood flow throughout the legs that helps with swelling reduction, easy metabolic waste removal, and easing muscle soreness—all factors imperative for a faster recovery.
4. Helps Regain Mobility Fast
After undergoing surgery, a patient is required to remain immobile for a while. Restricting the physical movements is necessary to let the wound/incision heal properly. Being constricted for a particular period puts the patient at risk of blood clots that can be life-threatening. The squeezing action of compression stocking eases blood circulation in the whole of the legs and accordingly prevents blood from pooling in the lower extremities of the body. This healthy bloodstream promotes better oxygen delivery to the muscles. Plus, it helps reduce muscle fatigue, swelling, and pain levels as well, allowing the patient to recover fast from the surgery.
5. Reduces Pain And Discomfort
Pain and minor discomfort (heaviness) in the legs and ankles are common after surgery due to decreased blood circulation. Compression stocking’s considerate force amplifies the halted blood circulation, thwarting blood from accumulating in the legs. Moreover, it significantly instigates a healthy sending of blood to the heart, assisting the body's natural phenomenon. This working mechanism is what saves the patient from facing intensified levels of pain and other related discomforts like swelling and heaviness in the legs
6. Helps With Orthostatic Hypotension As Well
It’s been studied that around 60% of the patients face the complication of orthostatic hypotension after going through a leg surgery. Generally, they face this issue in the early postoperative phase, right when they are regaining their mobility. Due to this, they experience symptoms like dizziness and lightheadedness while standing. Blood pooling and sudden blood pressure drops are the main agents of orthostatic hypotension. The firm pressure applied by compression stockings maintains healthy blood flow in the legs and prevents the sudden blood drop associated with this condition.
Speed Up Your Recovery With SNUG360’s Premium Compressions Socks
Your quest for the best medical socks for blood circulation issues ends with SNUG360. We offer the best-in-industry compression socks that are made using eco-friendly material. Designed in the USA, our premium range of compression stockings affirms top-tier quality standards, longevity, and durability. Guaranteeing all-day comfort and care, our range of compression socks is prepared using an ideal blend of spandex and nylon. Featuring an anti-slip band, wearing them won’t be difficult for you at all. Moreover, caring for them is quite straightforward as well.
Final Thoughts
If used adequately, compression socks could be a game-changer in helping a patient recover fast from leg surgery. Being an easy-to-wear garment piece, one can go along their day comfortably wearing these stockings. By facilitating healthy blood flow throughout the legs, these socks prove to be an effective defense measure against all different possible issues like DVT, swelling, and aggravated pain and discomfort that are deemed to be common after leg surgery. We at SNUG360 are devoted to providing a top-notch range of compression socks to all those in need.