Hip replacement: things you should do and avoid after surgery
Hip replacement surgery is a common treatment for hip pain caused by injury or osteoarthritis. Hip pain can seriously affect your quality of life, limiting your movement and making everyday tasks difficult. Hip replacement surgery can help reduce your pain so you can get back to the activities you enjoy. However, you’ll need to take it easy after your surgery to allow your body to recover.
Before surgery
Take some time to get your home ready for your return after surgery. You may want to sleep in a room downstairs so you don’t have to walk up and down the stairs so often. Try to arrange your furniture so you can move around with your crutches easily and make sure you have everything you need in easy reach so you don’t need to bend down or reach up. Assistive devices can also be helpful, such as a shower chair and raised toilet seat.
The first few days after surgery
Immediately after surgery, you’ll stay in the hospital for a few days until you can move around by yourself. Your healthcare team will make sure you can perform certain tasks before you go home, including getting in and out of bed, using the toilet, walking with crutches and performing physiotherapy exercises.
When you return home, have someone stay with you until you are confident moving around by yourself. It can take between a few days to a few weeks, depending on your surgery and general health.
Exercising after surgery
A physiotherapist will give you hip strength and mobility exercises to do at home daily. Hip replacement recovery relies on you learning to move your new hip in the correct way and this takes practice.
Resting
Staying active is an important part of your recovery but you’ll also need to rest. To relieve any swelling after surgery, sit or lie down and elevate your leg, apply an ice pack for up to 20 minutes and, if recommended by your doctor, wear compression stockings.
Movements to avoid
Avoid sitting on seats that are not raised — you can use extra cushions to raise your seating. Don’t sit with your legs crossed or turn them inward. Instead, try to keep your legs straight and your hips aligned. If you need to reach down for something, ask for help or use a grabber tool so you don’t bend your hips. In bed, try to avoid lying on your side and put a cushion between your legs if you do.
Getting back to normal
You’ll be given advice about when you can put weight on your leg without crutches or a walking stick. How long this takes will depend on the type of surgery you had, your general health and strength, and your recovery. If you work, you’ll be given an idea of how soon you can expect to return to work after surgery, which depends on the type of work you do and your recovery.
We hope you've found this article useful, however, it cannot be a substitute for a consultation with a specialist
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Cahoot Care Marketing
Niched in the care sector, Cahoot Care Marketing offers a full range of marketing services for care businesses including: SEO, social media, websites and video marketing, specialising in copywriting and content marketing.
Over the last five years Cahoot Care Marketing has built an experienced team of writers and editors, with broad and deep expertise on a range of care topics. They provide a responsive, efficient and comprehensive service, ensuring content is on brand and in line with relevant medical guidelines.
Their writers and editors include care sector workers, healthcare copywriting specialists and NHS trainers, who thoroughly research all topics using reputable sources including the NHS, NICE, relevant Royal Colleges and medical associations.
The Spire Content Hub project was managed by:
Lux Fatimathas, Editor and Project Manager
Lux has a BSc(Hons) in Neuroscience from UCL, a PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and experience as a postdoctoral researcher in developmental biology. She has a clear and extensive understanding of the biological and medical sciences. Having worked in scientific publishing for BioMed Central and as a writer for the UK’s Medical Research Council and the National University of Singapore, she is able to clearly communicate complex concepts.
Catriona Shaw, Lead Editor
Catriona has an English degree from the University of Southampton and more than 12 years’ experience copy editing across a range of complex topics. She works with a diverse team of writers to create clear and compelling copy to educate and inform.
Alfie Jones, Director — Cahoot Care Marketing
Alfie has a creative writing degree from UCF and initially worked as a carer before supporting his family’s care training business with copywriting and general marketing. He has worked in content marketing and the care sector for over 10 years and overseen a diverse range of care content projects, building a strong team of specialist writers and marketing creatives after founding Cahoot in 2016.