Post Operative Recovery - How does Hilotherm work?

Hilotherapy has a wide range of applications after surgery or injury, providing both natural pain relief and a reduction in swelling and bruising. The machine pumps water through a cuff at a controlled temperature in order to counter inflammation, bleeding, haematomas and oedemas. As the temperature is regulated it can be used for as long as desired, with many people post- operatively using almost continuously in their first few days at home. It is completely safe to use Hilotherm for as long as is comfortable and you can adjust the temperature to suit your needs as you recover from surgery or injury.

Here’s a basic rundown of how it works:

1. The system uses specialized cuffs that are placed on the body, typically to the knee or face after surgery (although there are also cuffs designed for the hip, shoulder or foot).

2. The cuffs are connected to a cooling device that circulates cooled water through them in a closed loop system. The temperature is precisely controlled to target specific areas of the body, which can be set according to the patient’s needs. The recommended temperature range for optimum reduction of swelling and bruising is 16°C – 19°C for the face cuffs and 15°C – 18°C for the knee, hip, foot or shoulder cuffs.

3. The cuffs absorb heat and lower the temperature of the targeted area. This can be particularly helpful for reducing inflammation, managing pain, or improving recovery times. The Hilotherm system is designed to be gentle and safe, using targeted temperature management to reduce body temperature in a safe and controlled manner.

To conclude, unlike many traditional cryotherapy solutions which use ice to provide cooling for patients, Hilotherm does not. Therefore, unlike ice, Hilotherm can be applied continuously for prolonged periods of time without negative side effects and without any intervention to maintain cooling.