I have one good stretch that I do, which is sitting with leg outstretched and reaching beyond my toes with my hands on the floor. That only stretches my back, shoulders and hamstrings tho. Perhaps it’s time to do some research on stretching.. although I can’t imagine how to stretch the outside of your calf!

If it’s your calf muscle go find yourself a step, stand on your toes on it and lower yourself with a straight knee. I’d be guessing that the tightest bit would stretch first and that that would be your knot.

I stretch out my calves before running (or rather, after a short warmup run) and they are pretty flexible, that seems to miss the knot.

No idea then. Go get someone to check it out properly. Could be calcification or 101 other things.

to OP:
Has nobody mentioned positioning yet? FLEXED position, pain inhibition due to abdominal incision, poor basal expansion, been ventilated and anaesthetised in supine – collection of secretions etc, is analgesia correctly controlled? Immediate treatment approach would be get into a decent position to improve expansion, check fluid balance, chat with docs, saline nebs, flirt with nurses, eat chocolates, acbt with supported cough etc etc… re-auscultate, check to see if sats are improving,etc. If they’re really crappy you can try the bird. Then liaise with docs again re: problems and get them to sort out fluid balance and any other issues.

Go get someone to check it out properly

I will, if it stays there. Just tried the stretching, could only get a bit of stretch in it by contorting my leg weirdly. I think perhaps the reason it’s stayed there so long is that it doesn’t get stretched out properly ever, it being on the side.