Your Hips Won't Lie: What You Need To Know About Recovering From Hip Replacement Surgery

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A hip replacement surgery will, in the long run, help you have more mobility as you age, especially if the replacement frees you from debilitating joint pain. However, directly after the surgery, there is a short recovery period in which you will need greater assistance. Here is what you need to know about recovering from a hip replacement surgery and what you can do to prepare for life after the procedure. 

Lessened Mobility

Directly after the surgery, your surgeon will give you instructions on how to care for yourself, including restricting your activity until you are fully recovered. You should not do anything to aggravate the hip area, and should reduce your mobility until your body is healed. Usually, restoring full movement through the hips requires a gradual increase of activity with the guidance of a physical therapist. Because you won't be up and walking around, you need to take care of your other muscles:

• Pulse your feet and actively pointing your toes when you are lying down. This engages the ankles and calves and keeps them strong.
• Tense the muscles in your thighs and buttocks to keep them engaged. Strength in this area will help you be more successful as you retrain your body to move through the hips.
• Tighten your pelvic floor muscles. These muscles don't get much action except when you are walking or going to the bathroom. However, they help your hips to stay aligned and you can strengthen them by doing kegel exercises.

Help With Everyday Tasks

Until you are up on your feet again, you'll need to enlist the help of friends, family members, or a home health aid as you recover. Your helper should take care of basic tasks, including driving you home from the hospital and taking you to subsequent physical therapy appointments, as you will not be able to drive yourself until you have regained hip movement. They should be prepared to shop for you, clean your home, do laundry, and help you wash and dress. Consider making things easier for yourself:

• Prepare freezer meals in advance of your surgery. This way, you have food you know you like, prepared the way you like. This is especially useful if you have dietary restrictions that would make it hard for a friend to accommodate without practice. 
• Check yourself into an outpatient short-term rehabilitation facility. These are similar to care centers for the elderly, but thankfully, as you convalesce, you will gradually move back into a more independent lifestyle. However, having medical staff and housekeeping staff on hand during your stay can keep you from being tempted to overdo it. Check out places like The Village At Morrisons Cove.
• Rearrange your furniture to make things easier to reach and to get around. For example, moving the coffee table out of the living room is a good idea, as it can be an obstacle for you. Similarly, rugs and cords can be tripping hazards. 
• Install bars in the shower and placing a raised seat on the toilet to make it easier for you and your helper to perform basic hygiene tasks.
• Rent a lift chair to assist you as you go from sitting to standing. 

Caring For Your Wound

Post-surgery, you will also need to take care to watch for signs of infection and prevent infections by keeping the incision and stitches clean. You should change the dressing daily. You might not be permitted to shower or bathe until the wound has healed to the satisfaction of your doctor. Instead, you will need to wash with a sponge, carefully avoiding the incision. Signs of infection include redness, draining, pus, a bad smell, and fever. Notify your doctor immediately if you have any of these symptoms

16 December 2015