5 Tips for a Successful Total Hip Replacement Recovery

Hip replacement surgery recovery tips

A hip replacement is one of the common and life-altering operations. It helps patients get back to normal life and improves their quality of life. Suppose you are considering or have undergone hip surgery. In that case, you should know about the important hip replacement tips that can help you understand how to support yourself during the recovery phase.

Here are some of the hip replacement recovery tips recommended by specialists to help with successful recovery from hip surgery:

• Prepare your home in advance

  Before surgery, one of the basic hip replacement recovery tips is rearranging your home to access all the necessities easily. Most importantly you will have to reorganise your kitchen and bathroom. Keep all the important things at the waist level and within easy reach.

  After coming home from surgery, you will need assistance with household chores like cleaning, cooking and shopping. Talk to your friend or family in advance to help you out for a few weeks after the surgery.

  Another hip replacement surgery recovery tips is to go shopping before surgery to buy a perching stool or chair. You will need it to move around and complete tasks. The perching stool has a seat that slopes and also has armrests. Using this type of stool can make the everyday activity less strenuous. 

• Take some time off from work.

  The recovery time depends on how you manage the phase and what hip replacement surgery recovery tips you follow. Giving yourself enough time to recover before continuing your regular activities is very important. It is expected to have three months for rehabilitation after the operation. If you have a physically demanding job, your return to work may take longer.

  Moreover, your travel convenience is also a factor to consider while looking for hip surgery recovery tips. It is best to explore a different way of working for a smoother and quicker recovery. Plan this before the surgery to avoid any issues after the operation.

• Rest, recovery and gentle exercise

  Patients tend to minimise their movement as much as possible after the surgery. Though taking adequate rest for recovery is important, moving is also important. If you stay still for too long, your body can become stiff, impacting your recovery and increasing the time.

  Therefore one should do gentle exercises like short, gentle walks in and around your home. Supervised physiotherapy, like rehabilitation programmes and hydrotherapy, includes hip surgery recovery tips.

  Consult your orthopaedic care team to support you with exercises. It is important not to overdo exercise as it could lead to more pain and loss of confidence. Hence a balance between rest and exercise is vital.

• Nutrition plays a major role.

  A healthy and balanced diet is a key hip surgery recovery tip. After surgery, the body needs to heal, and for that, it needs a varied diet. It boosts the healing process. Nutrients such as protein, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals must be present in your diet. Moreover, one should not try to attempt weight loss during recovery.

• Think about your holidays and travel plans

• Lying

  For the first six weeks after surgery, you should refrain from flying. You can fly short-haul after some time, but long-haul should completely be avoided for three months. Sitting for too long can increase the chances of developing Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) in your legs.

• Driving

  This is the basic hip replacement recovery tips you should follow if you drive. You should check with your insurance company if your policy covers you driving following a surgical procedure. You might not be insured to drive for some weeks.

You can consult with your surgical team about your after-surgery pain medication and hip replacement tips. It is important not to drive at all on strong painkillers. 

You start driving again after six weeks. In any case, one should be aware that reflexes can get impacted just after surgery. So take a comfortable position in your driving seat where you can perform an emergency stop.

These are some of the important hip replacement recovery tips that you should follow for quicker recovery. To know more about hip replacement tips, consult the doctors at Germanten Hospital. Book your appointment now.