Hip relacements can be a scary ordeal when you aren't prepared or do not know what to expect. This is a breif overview on what to expect when going through this surgery.

1. What happens after my Hip Replacement Surgery?
Video of Physical Therapy immediately following surgery…
The information on Hip Replacement was developed for NIHSeniorHealth by the National Institute of Arthritis and
Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) at NIH.
Hip replacement surgery involves removing a
damaged hip and replacing it with an artificial one.
An important part of the recovery process is
physical therapy, which usually starts right after the
surgery and continues for several weeks.
Having Surgery
Having hip replacement usually requires a hospital
stay of 3 to 5 days. During that time you will have
the surgery and begin recovery and rehabilitation.
You will also learn about possible complications,
including how to prevent them and recognize them
if they occur.
Before Surgery
You will most likely be admitted to the hospital on
the day of your surgery. Before you are admitted,
however, you will see an anesthesiologist, who will
evaluate your general health and talk with you
about the types of anesthesia, or pain relief, during
surgery.
Two common types of anesthesia for hip
replacement are general anesthesia and spinal or
epidural anesthesia. With general anesthesia, you
are asleep during surgery and a machine helps you
breathe. With spinal or epidural anesthesia, you are
numbed from the waist down during the operation.
Regardless of the method used, the surgery itself
will not be painful.
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After Surgery
Video!
Hip replacement surgery usually takes 1 to 2 hours.
After surgery, you will be taken to the recovery
room where you will be monitored for an hour or
two. Once you are fully awake and alert, you will be
moved to a hospital room for the rest of your stay.
In the first hours after your surgery, you will be
allowed to move very little. Your hospital bed will
have special pillows or devices to hold your hip in
the correct position.
You may have an IV tube inserted to replace any
fluids you lost during surgery. You may also have a
tube near the incision to drain fluid and a tube
called a catheter to drain urine until you are able to
go to the bathroom. You will also receive medicine
to relieve pain.
The surgery site will be closed with staples or
stitches, which will be removed about two weeks
after surgery. In the meantime, it will be important
to avoid getting the wound wet until it heals. A
bandage can help prevent clothing or stockings from
irritating the wound.
Shortly after surgery, a respiratory therapist may
visit you and ask you to breathe deeply, cough, or
blow into a device to increase your lung capacity.
Doing these things will help reduce the risk of
infection in your lungs.
Physical Therapy
Later in the day after your surgery or the following
day, physical therapists will begin to teach you
exercises to help your recovery. A day or two after
surgery, you will be allowed to sit on the edge of the
bed and stand and walk with help.