After Surgery

Going home

• Discharge from the hospital depends on how well you recover from the surgery and whether you’ll be able to get about safely. Most people will be ready to leave the hospital within 1-3 days.

• Goals for a safe discharge

1. Getting in and out of bed by yourself.

2.  Pain control.

3. Being able to eat, drink, and use the toilet.

4. Walking with a walking aid ( frame or crutches) on a level surface and being able to climb up and downstairs ( if required).

5. Understanding any hip precautions you may have been given to prevent injury and complications.

• ​You’ll have a routine check-up, usually 6 to 8 weeks after the operation, to make sure your recovery is going well. 

Looking after your hip replacement 

• Wound care :  The wound is routinely closed with an absorbable suture beneath your skin and glue and protected with a simple dressing. The dressings will need to be removed after 2 weeks. Avoid getting the wound wet until it has thoroughly sealed and dried.

• Diet: A balanced diet is important to promote proper tissue healing and restore muscle strength. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids.

• Sleeping: You may need to sleep on your back at first, especially the first 2 weeks to avoid direct pressure on your wound. 

• Hip precautions: You may not be able to bend your leg towards your body as far as you’d like to. Your therapist will advise you about any movements that you need to take special care of. Please refer to the Do's & Don'ts video in the FAQ section 

Activity

Returning back to normal depends on many different things including your age, your general health, the strength of your muscles, and the condition of your other joints. You should be able to resume most normal light activities of daily living within 3 to 6 weeks following surgery.

Driving: You can expect to drive again after about six weeks, as long as you can safely control the vehicle and do an emergency stop. Please check with your insurance company as well. Please be careful getting in and out of the car due to the risk of dislocation. We recommend sitting sideways on the seat first and then swinging both your legs around together having a plastic bag on the car seat to make it easier to swivel. around.

Work: if you are involved in a light-duty job such as a desk office job then we would recommend 6 weeks prior to returning to work. You may need three months or more to fully recover before returning to a very heavy manual labour job, or you may want to think about changing to lighter duties.

Sports:  Please avoid extreme hip movements and activities with a high risk of falling. Different sports can put different kinds of strain on the body. Please liaise with us for advice on how long to wait before going back to your favourite sport. Here are some general guidelines on some of the most common sports our patients do:

• Swimming: Avoid the first 6 weeks while your surgical wound is still healing and to reduce the risk of infection. ​ After six weeks you should be able to return to swimming without any problem.​ 

• Golf: Avoid the first 6 weeks especially the driving range. This is because twisting the hip joint at this early stage could cause you pain and hinder recovery. Start off with putting, but leave the big irons for at least six months. There is a huge amount of rotational force at the hips with each drive, so keep your legs wide apart and with the foot slightly externally rotated to take the pressure off the hips.

• Cycling: For the initial return to cycling, the stationary bike is recommended. You can cycle on a level surface as a good recovery exercise once you've resumed normal activities. There are some cautionary factors to be considered [1] You will need a raised platform to help with mounting and dismounting, and some modifications to the bike to ensure you are not bending too far forwards or placing excessive load on the hips. [2] Don't bring your knee up higher than your hip (swing your leg over the back of the bike and ensure saddle height is correct, and especially not too low). [3] Don't lean forward while sitting, or as you sit down (the bike will need to be adapted so the handlebars are high and close enough, to ensure the back is straight and upright). [4] Keep feet facing straight forward and not excessively turned inward or outward.​

• Hiking & Walking: You can go on gentle walks immediately after surgery, but hiking on uneven ground isn’t recommended for at least three months until your muscles settle down and get used to your new hip.

• Running: You can run as soon as you feel you have fully recovered. It will wear out your hip over time. Try to keep your runs to under 5 miles at a time and stop if you feel uncomfortable. 

• Tennis: You can get back to tennis as soon as you feel you have fully recovered and are able to achieve a single-leg squat. Start gently and, be careful, and try not to lunge for the ball if possible. Keep your legs wide apart to ensure stability.

• Horse riding: This is not recommended for at least three months until your muscles settle down and get used to your new hip. It is important to stretch before attempting to get on a horse. Keep in mind that mounting blocks are your friend. Use caution when mounting and dismounting to avoid the risk of dislocating your hip. Ride with a longer stirrup to help relieve pressure on your artificial joints. Consider riding a breed known for having smooth gaits and please avoid riding situations that put you at high risk of falling.

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