During your early post operative period your surgeon will provide you with the appropriate medication and care needed for your recovery. In the early postoperative period following a hip replacement or knee replacement surgery your active involvement is necessary for a quick and successful recovery.
Surgery And Recovery
Day of surgery
You will remain in the recovery room for two hours for monitoring after your surgery and then be transferred to your hospital room.
Incision Care
There will be an sterile dressing over your surgical wound. Your wound dressing will be changed regularly and removed about a week after surgery. Depending on the suture material used, the sutures may either be removed or left in situ to be gradually absorbed. You need to keep your wound clean and dry. You can usually use the shower the day after surgery.
Medications
Your surgeon will prescribe pain medications to ensure your comfort after surgery. To protect the implants from infection, you will be prescribed antibiotics. You may also receive a blood thinner for 2-3 weeks to reduce the risk of clot formation after your surgery.
Physical Therapy
Walking is important to your recovery and you are encouraged to walk the day of your surgery. Your physical therapist will teach you specific exercises to strengthen your new joint and restore its range of motion. You will also be advised on a home exercise program after your discharge from the hospital.
Follow Up
You will be advised to make a follow-up appointment with your surgeon to check on your progress after your discharge. You should see your surgeon at regular intervals for follow-up examinations.
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A total hip replacement is one of the most successful operations that orthopedic surgeons perform. A hip replacement is an elective surgery, which means patients decide if and when to have their hip replaced. As a physician, I never tell patients they have to have a hip replacement surgery, but many times surgery may offer the only possibility for pain relief. Although the surgery is elective, it is covered by most insurance companies; however, depending on your policy you maybe required to make a small co-payment. My philosophy is to give my patients as much information as they need to make informed decisions regarding their health and hip pain and then treat their hip pain according to their wishes.
A hip joint is basically a ball and socket joint. A hip replacement involves removing the ball (femoral head) and replacing it with a metal prosthetic ball. The femoral prosthesis is inserted into the hollow part of the femoral shaft. The socket of the pelvis is machined into a hemisphere and a metal hemisphere is inserted into the socket. The new metal ball and new metal socket form the new hip joint and allow the same and often times more motion than the native hip joint. The femoral and acetabular prosthesis are attached to your bones by creating a space in the bone that is slightly smaller than the metal prosthesis and then pressing the metal prosthesis into this tight space. Occasionally, the metal prosthesis is attached to the bone with bone cement. The parts are made of stainless steel, titanium, ceramic and/or polyethylene. I typically make an incision about 3-4 inches long for a hip replacement.
The purpose of this web page is to educate patients about the major aspects of hip replacement surgery. Many studies have shown that an informed patient will have less surprises and more satisfaction with their surgery. I do not intend to scare people away from getting their hip pain treated. Although the following information is a reasonable overview of what I consider the major aspects of hip surgery, it is not a substitute for a clinical consultation where I can directly answer your questions. If you would like more information, please schedule an appointment to see me.
If there are any questions or concerns, please consult us by clicking here
You will be advised to make a follow-up appointment with your surgeon to check on your progress after your discharge. You should see your surgeon at regular intervals for follow-up examinations.
Walking is important to your recovery and you are encouraged to walk the day of your surgery. Your physical therapist will teach you specific exercises to strengthen your new joint and restore its range of motion. You will also be advised on a home exercise program after your discharge from the hospital.
Your surgeon will prescribe pain medications to ensure your comfort after surgery. To protect the implants from infection, you will be prescribed antibiotics. You may also receive a blood thinner for 2-3 weeks to reduce the risk of clot formation after your surgery.
There will be an sterile dressing over your surgical wound. Your wound dressing will be changed regularly and removed about a week after surgery. Depending on the suture material used, the sutures may either be removed or left in situ to be gradually absorbed. You need to keep your wound clean and dry. You can usually use the shower the day after surgery.
You will remain in the recovery room for two hours for monitoring after your surgery and then be transferred to your hospital room.
During your early post operative period your surgeon will provide you with the appropriate medication and care needed for your recovery. In the early postoperative period following a joint replacement surgery your active involvement is necessary for a quick and successful recovery.
