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Tips for Hip Surgery Patients
Posted: June 1, 2007
To prepare for surgery, you can:
Learn what to expect before, during and after surgery
Ask the doctor for booklets about the surgery
Ask someone to drive you to and from the hospital
Arrange for someone to help you for a week or two after coming home from the hospital
Put things you need in one place at home (for instance, put the remote control, radio, telephone, medicine, tissues and wastebasket next to your chair or bed)
Place items you use every day at arm level to avoid reaching up or bending down
Stock up on food
Make and freeze meals
What should I do after surgery?
Soon after surgery, you will meet a respiratory therapist and a physical therapist. The respiratory therapist may ask you to breathe deeply, cough or blow into a device to check your lungs. Deep breathing helps to keep fluid out of your lungs after surgery.
The physical therapist will teach you how to sit up, bend over, and walk with your new hip. The therapist will also teach you simple exercises to help you get better. In some cases, within 1 to 2 days after surgery, you may be able to sit on the edge of the bed, stand, and even walk with help.
After you go home, be sure to follow the doctors instructions. Tips for getting better quickly are:
Work with a physical therapist.
Wear an apron to carry things around the house. This leaves your hands and arms free for balance or to use crutches.
Use a long-handled reacher to turn on lights or grab things you need. Your nurse at the hospital may give you one or tell you where to buy one.
Will exercise help after a total hip replacement?
Exercise can reduce joint pain and stiffness. It can increase muscle strength and joint range of motion (how much you can move the joint). Most physical therapists begin with exercises that:
Increase range of motion
Make muscles strong
Your doctor or physical therapist will decide when you can do harder exercises. Your doctor may say not to jog or play basketball or tennis. These can damage or loosen the new hip joint.
Exercise goals after hip replacement surgery are to:
Increase muscle strength
Increase your blood circulation and overall fitness
Avoid injuring the new joint
Source: National Institute for Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
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