Hip replacement surgeries have been performed since 1960, and they are one of the most common orthopedic surgeries performed. Techniques for hip replacement have evolved since their initial beginning, and surgeons are continually developing less invasive surgical techniques. The goal of these less invasive techniques is to minimize pain and reduce overall hip replacement surgery recovery time. Immediately following hip replacement surgery, you may feel some initial discomfort while walking or exercising. That said, many patients are able to get up and walk around the same day as their surgery! The pain you felt in your hip before your surgery should be completely gone, although you of course will be somewhat sore from the operation. This pain should not last very long, however, especially if you keep up physical therapy. Physical therapy for hip replacement recovery will usually begin the day after your surgery. Within a few days, you should be able to walk with a cane, crutches or a walker.
Some patients will require a stay in a rehabilitation facility for additional therapy before they go home. This stay will generally only last a few days or so and is dependent upon the patient’s needs. The age of the patient and what their home environment is like – for example. Is someone available to assist them at home during the first few days of recovery? Are there many stairs to climb? Once you’re released from the hospital or rehabilitation facility, you’ll need to continue with outpatient physical therapy in order to help you to continue to progress. Outpatient facilities will utilize exercise equipment to help increase your range of motion, as well as incorporate balance exercises to help decrease your risk of falling, which could damage your hip and increase your recovery time. While balance exercises will help reduce falls, you should also make sure you safeguard your home to prevent them. Remove throw rugs and get rid of clutter on the floor so there’s nothing you could potentially trip over.
Stay as active as you can to help regain the use of your joint and muscles. Use the mobility aid of your choice until you’re able to walk comfortably and be stable on your feet without it. Some other things you can do at home to help aid in your hip replacement surgery recovery include making some other modifications to your home, like adding a raised toilet seat and a shower chair. You’ll want to avoid bending at the waist beyond a 90 degree angle, as this could cause your new hip joint to become dislocated. Be careful in your movements; no reaching down to pick items up off the floor when you’re sitting down, don’t bring your knee up higher than your hip, and no kneeling on the knee of the leg that had surgery. Avoid strenuous sports like jogging. However, you’ll be able to get back to lighter activities like walking and golf within a few months. Today’s hip replacements can last upwards of 15 years, as long as you’re following your physical therapy regimen and taking the proper precautions to avoid a fall.
American Senior Communities provides rehabilitation for hip replacement patients and others through the Moving Forward Rehabilitation program offered at locations statewide. I had to get all mine myself...luckily a friend of a friend gave me some stuff...most definitely a raised toilet seat...physio should measure you...I'm 5'6 and a 4" one was fine ..one with a frame was best....you need a grabber...or two to pick things up. I got a stick thing with hooks on the end...really useful for dressing and all sorts of things! I got a trolley on wheels for by my chair so everything was at hand, a Table Mate...from ebay for meals and a body cushion for sleeping .....oh and crutches if course...I had mine but hopefully they're the least you'll be given!!A bin bag is really good for getting in and out of the car and in and out bed as you can sort of swivel on it....when you start your bed exercises its good for sliding your op leg across too! I found that they provided some things and I had to get some things on my own.
However, not everyone has the same types of restrictions so they don't all need the same things so it might be worth a call to ask them exactly what you'll need and whether or not they supply it. This is a very "personal" item that no one told me I would need but after surgery I sent my mom to the drug store for some things and she brought back my favorite item that I had no idea I would need. It is a plastic stick-like thing about 18 inches long that holds toilet paper on the end so you don't have to reach so far after a bathroom visit. It seems odd an a little gross but I'm 5 weeks post op and still use it every day. There was no way I could bend far enough without it. I wish you much success and a speedy recovery. I was given most of what I needed but if not you can buy gadgets to raise the heights of bed or chairs. I found that a grabber clipped to my trolley plus one in the bedroom and another in the bathroom very useful as inevitably the task and the grabber ended up separated in space.
The long shoe horn is very good for flipping duvets around.Your Council will provide assistance with bins if you live alone but the process for mine took about 3 weeks.A backpack for carrying bits and pieces outside helps, so does a handbag with a long strap that you can sling across your shoulder. Bags are helpful in carrying things up and down stairs when you are still using two crutches - if necessary hump from step to step.Think about your shoes, high heels are out, laces only if you have an assistant, even velcro fastens are tricky with just the grabber. A selection of those useful 4 socket bars which you can plug in before you go into hospital and leave at a convenient height for when you come home is useful (you will have to buy them).You'll learn to cope and improvise. Is Chronic Pain All in Your Head? The Amazing Story of a Helicopter Crash Survivor How Yoga Eases Hip Pain Why Do Your Knees Hurt? Sign Up for Our Living with Chronic Pain NewsletterThanks for signing up!
Sign up for more FREE Everyday Health newsletters.SubmitWe respect your privacy.Preparing for hip replacement surgery includes making changes at home and at work to make your life more comfortable during your recovery. Even though the surgery may relieve your hip pain, your body needs time to heal from the operation. You will be limited in your mobility and in your ability to bend, reach, and stretch.Replacement Surgery Recovery: Tools for Daily LivingPlan ahead to have everything you’ll need for your recovery in place before your replacement surgery. Here are helpful items your doctor or physical therapist may suggest:Crutches, a walker, or bothShower chair so that you can sit down in the showerGrabbing device with a long handle to make reaching easier (available at pharmacies and home centers)Slip-on shoes and a shoehorn to make putting on shoes easierErgonomic chairs for your home office and at workShower brush or sponge with a long handle for bathingA home portable potty if you need to create a temporary bathroom
on the ground floor of your houseCheck your insurance plan to find out which assistive devices may be covered before you buy them. At work, you may be able to get an ergonomic consultation and order an ergonomic office chair through the human resources department.Replacement Surgery Recovery: Go to SchoolYour orthopedist may send you to a class or recommend sessions with a physical therapist to teach you how to prepare for surgery and use assistive devices. This all makes for an easier transition after your surgery.“As soon as I was scheduled for a hip replacement, I went to a class at the University of California hospital. During part of it, they gave us information about preparing at home,” recalls Joan O’Connor, 62, a small business owner from San Francisco who had her right hip replaced due to osteoarthritis. (Her left hip is scheduled for replacement next.)Replacement Surgery Recovery: Changes to Make at HomeO’Connor was instructed to walk through her house looking for specific hazards.
Steps you might be told to take:Pick up area rugs, which are easy to slip on and trip over. Also note which floors have slippery surfaces so you’ll know to avoid them.Remove clutter from hallways. Make sure you will have enough room to get around using a walker or crutches, advises Amy Humphrey, PhD, a physical therapist and spokesperson for the American Physical Therapy Association.Safety-proof the bathroom. “Make sure it’s safe to get in and out of the bathtub,” says Humphrey. You might need to install temporary grab bars at the tub and toilet.Not being able to bend over can make it difficult to put on shoes, socks, and even slacks or shorts. Set aside clothing and shoes that are easy to put on by yourself or with minimal assistance. Consider getting a bathrobe to wear around the house in case dressing in regular clothes is too difficult at first.“Even if you don’t expect to be alone in the house, be prepared in case you are, like having snack food on a shelf you can reach," says O'Connor.