Hip Surgery
Q: Is hip replacement for me?
A: The first question many people have about hip replacement is if, and when, to have it done. You're the best judge of when to do it. Doctors can tell you if you have severe loss of cartilage and damage to the bones of your major joints. But only you know if the pain, and disability, is severe enough that you want to undergo major surgery to correct it.
One good measure of the right time to operate is when the pain is interfering with your ability to enjoy life and function normally-whether at home, at work, or in sports or hobbies you once enjoyed.
Another good time to consider joint replacement is when you've exhausted all other treatments short of surgery. If you haven't tried exercise, medication, injections of pain medicine, or other relatively less invasive treatments, then you should talk to your doctor about these treatments first.
The decision whether to have hip replacement surgery should be a cooperative one between you, your family, your primary care doctor, and your orthopaedic surgeon. The process of making this decision typically begins with a referral by your doctor to an orthopaedic surgeon for an initial evaluation. You may benefit from hip replacement surgery if:
- Hip pain limits your everyday activities such as walking, bending, and going up and down stairs.
- Hip pain continues while resting, either day or night.
- Stiffness in a hip limits your ability to move or lift your leg.
- You have little pain relief from anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin or ibuprofen.
- You have harmful or unpleasant side effects from your hip medications.
- Other treatments such as physical therapy or external supports, such as cane, crutches, or walker, don't relieve hip pain.
While most patients who undergo hip replacement surgery are age 60 to 80, orthopaedic surgeons evaluate patients individually. Recommendations for surgery are based on the extent of your pain, disability, and general health status, not solely on age.
Q: What will my stay in the hospital be like?
A: You will stay in the hospital for a few days. After surgery, you will feel pain in your hip. Pain medication will be given to make you as comfortable as possible.
To avoid lung congestion after surgery, you will be asked to breathe deeply and cough frequently.
To protect your hip during early recovery, a positioning splint, such as a V-shaped pillow placed between your legs, may be used.
Walking and light activity are important to your recovery and will begin the day after your surgery.
Most hip replacement patients begin standing and walking with the help of a walking support and a physical therapist the day after surgery. The physical therapist will teach you specific exercises to strengthen your hip and restore movement for walking and other normal daily activities.
Q: What will recovery at home be like?
A: The success of your surgery also will depend on how well you follow your orthopaedic surgeon's instructions at home during the first few weeks after surgery.
Wound care: You will have stitches or staples running along your wound or a suture beneath your skin on the front of your knee. The stitches or staples will be removed several weeks after surgery. A suture beneath your skin will not require removal.
Avoid soaking the wound in water until the wound has thoroughly sealed and dried. A bandage may be placed over the wound to prevent irritation from clothing or support stockings.
Diet: Some loss of appetite is common for several weeks after surgery. A balanced diet, often with an iron supplement, is important to promote proper tissue healing and restore muscle strength.
Activity: Exercise is a critical component of home care, particularly during the first few weeks after surgery. You should be able to resume most normal activities of daily living within three to six weeks following surgery. Some pain with activity and at night is common for several weeks after surgery.
Your activity program should include:
- A graduated walking program to slowly increase your mobility, initially in your home and later outside.
- Resuming other normal household activities, such as sitting and standing and walking up and down stairs.
- Specific exercises several times a day to restore movement and strengthen your knee. You probably will be able to perform the exercises without help, but you may have a physical therapist help you at home or in a therapy center the first few weeks after surgery.
Driving usually begins when your knee bends sufficiently so you can enter and sit comfortably in your car and when your muscle control provides adequate reaction time for braking and acceleration. Most individuals resume driving about four to six weeks after surgery.
Q: How is my new hip different?
A: You may feel some numbness in the skin around your incision. You also may feel some stiffness, particularly with excessive bending activities. Improvement of knee motion is a goal of total knee replacement, but restoration of full motion is uncommon. The motion of your knee replacement after surgery is predicted by the motion of your knee prior to surgery. Most patients can expect to nearly fully straighten the replaced knee and to bend the knee sufficiently to go up and down stairs and get in and out of a car. Kneeling is usually uncomfortable, but it is not harmful. Occasionally, you may feel some soft clicking of the metal and plastic with knee bending or walking. These differences often diminish with time and most patients find these are minor, compared to the pain and limited function they experienced prior to surgery.
Your new knee may activate metal detectors required for security in airports and some buildings. Tell the security agent about your knee replacement if the alarm is activated.
After surgery, make sure you also do the following:
- Participate in regular light exercise programs to maintain proper strength and mobility of your new knee.
- Take special precautions to avoid falls and injuries. Individuals who have undergone total knee replacement surgery and suffer a fracture may require more surgery.
- Notify your dentist that you had a knee replacement. You should be given antibiotics before all dental surgery for the rest of your life.
See your orthopaedic surgeon periodically for a routine follow-up examination and X-rays, usually once a year.
Q: What kind of exercises can I do after hip surgery?
A: Recovery & Exercises.
back to top
