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The First Time You Use the Bathroom After Surgery...

Tyler Goldberg MD | Hip & Knee Replacement Surgeon

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How to Use the Bathroom After Knee Replacement (And Prepare Your Home for Recovery)

One of the biggest surprises after total knee replacement isn't the surgery itself—it's getting home and realizing everyday tasks suddenly feel completely different.

Using the bathroom.

Getting out of bed.

Walking safely with a walker.

Standing up from a chair.

Preparing your home before surgery can dramatically reduce stress, improve safety, and make your recovery much smoother.

In this video, orthopedic surgeon Dr. Tyler Goldberg explains exactly how he prepares his own patients for the first few weeks after knee replacement surgery, including practical home setup tips, bathroom safety strategies, and common mistakes that can slow recovery.

If you're preparing for total knee replacement—or helping a loved one recover—this guide will help you feel more confident before you ever leave the surgery center.

In This Video

• How to safely use the bathroom after knee replacement

• When a raised toilet seat can help

• The safest way to sit down and stand back up

• Why your knee won't bend well during the first few days

• How swelling limits knee motion

• Preparing your home before surgery

• Recovery room essentials every patient should have

• Why walkers prevent falls during early recovery

• Common mistakes patients make after coming home

• How long bathroom mobility usually takes to improve

• Frequently asked questions about home recovery

Chapters

00:00 – The First Challenge After Coming Home

01:10 – Why the Bathroom Feels So Difficult

02:12 – Preparing Your Home Before Surgery

04:08 – Bathroom Setup Tips

05:45 – How to Sit Down Safely

07:00 – Standing Up Without Falling

08:10 – What If Your Knee Won't Bend?

09:05 – Should Someone Stay With You?

10:18 – Common Recovery Mistakes

11:40 – Frequently Asked Questions

13:30 – The Bigger Picture

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Important Medical Disclaimer

This video is intended for educational and informational purposes only.

Every patient heals differently. Recovery timelines, activity restrictions, exercises, assistive devices, and rehabilitation protocols should always follow the recommendations of your orthopedic surgeon and physical therapist.

Do not begin, modify, or discontinue any exercise or recovery program based solely on this video. If you experience increasing pain, instability, fever, drainage, calf pain, chest pain, shortness of breath, or any concerning symptoms, contact your surgeon immediately or seek appropriate medical care.

Connect with Dr. Tyler Goldberg

YouTube
@goldberghipkneereplacement

Instagram
Instagram: goldberg_hipkneereplacement

TikTok
TikTok: goldberg_hipknee

Facebook
Facebook: goldberghipkneereplacement

About Dr. Tyler Goldberg

Dr. Tyler Goldberg is a fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon in Austin, Texas with more than 25 years of experience and nearly 13,000 hip and knee replacements performed.

Patients travel from across Texas, across the United States, and around the world for:

• Anterior Hip Replacement

• Total Knee Replacement

• Revision Hip & Knee Replacement

• Concierge Orthopedic Care

• Personalized Recovery Programs

• Complex Joint Reconstruction

Our mission is simple:

Deliver world-class joint replacement through exceptional surgery, personalized education, and an experience designed to help patients recover with confidence.

10 Comments

@goldberghipkneereplacement Creator 1 month ago Pinned

📋 Preparing for knee replacement? Start here:

Take our FREE 2-minute Joint Pain Quiz to see whether surgery may be the right next step for you:
👉 https://goldberghipkneereplacement.com/candidate-quiz/

One of the biggest surprises after knee replacement isn't the surgery itself—it's navigating everyday life once you get home.

Using the bathroom. Getting out of bed. Walking with a walker. Standing up safely.

The better you prepare before surgery, the smoother those first few weeks tend to be.

I'd love to hear from you:

What part of recovery surprised you the most after knee replacement? Or, if you're preparing for surgery, what are you most nervous about?

I'll be reading the comments and answering as many questions as I can.

— Dr. Tyler Goldberg

@KathyD-0303 1 month ago

Suggestion I saw on YouTube - when you get to toilet, turn walker around. Then you can use those arms to get you up and down, worked great!

@mystic216 1 month ago

Great info! I will also add a tip that I put to good use. If your walker will not fit through a narrow door frame, take the wheels off the "outer" part of the walker leg and put them on the "inner" part instead. Our bathroom doorways are narrow and I am glad I tried/planned this before my TKR! I'm about 3 weeks away from LTKR and have been gathering supplies, mapping out where things will be, etc.

@lynmurray4331 3 weeks ago

I'm in Canada and there was a whole list of things that were pretty much required before surgery. It was left to the patient to purchase or arrange for loan/rental of the needed equipment.. I had bilateral hip replacement surgery in 2023 and got a shower chair, and toilet seat riser months before surgery. My only regret is not getting them sooner. I highly recommend that anyone waiting for surgery get these things in place - they will make your life easier. After getting the first couple of grabbers for picking things up, we now have them in every room in the house. I repurposed a flat step (from step aerobics) for getting in and out of the tub as my mobility was quite limited. It has a non-slip surface and combined with the shower chair, it made showers a lot easier. Knee replacement 1 happened this past January and the knee replacement 2 is 2 weeks away. The one thing I got that has only been used a couple times is a walker. I was far more comfortable on crutches (courtesy of several knee injuries over the years.

@duchessmckay9203 4 days ago

One good thing to get before surgery is a grabber. You would be surprised how often you drop things.

@DMAN10 1 month ago

I’m 61 and 7 days away from right TKR up here in Canada. I’m in excellent health, walking 5-6 km/day (8k-10k steps). Kinda anxious, but hoping recovery is gonna go smooth.