What is hip replacement surgery?

Your physical therapist will teach you how to get around with a walker, crutches, or cane. Take all medicines, including pain medicines and blood thinners, exactly as your doctor prescribed. Follow instructions for incision care. Follow your doctor's instructions about ways to avoid dislocating your hip.

Your doctor will help you know when it's okay for you to have sex. For most people, having sex is safe 4 to 6 weeks after surgery.

Sometimes doctors are so focused on your recovery that they may not ask about other important parts of your life, like sex. It may be up to you to bring up the subject.

To help get the conversation going, try these tips:

• If you think you will have trouble bringing up sex, practice how you will introduce the subject. You might say something like, "I have some concerns about having sex without hurting my new hip. I'd like to talk about that today."
• Before your appointment, make a list of questions to ask your doctor. Be as specific as you can.
• If you have trouble asking the questions directly or you feel rushed, give your list of questions to your doctor. Then ask for another appointment to discuss them.

Your pain will be controlled with intravenous (I.V.) medicine. You will probably also have medicines to prevent infection, blood clots, and nausea. If you had regional anesthesia, you may have little or no feeling below your waist for a while.

You may have a cushion between your legs. It helps keep your new hip in the correct position. To help prevent blood clots, you may be wearing compression stockings. And you may have compression sleeves on your legs. These squeeze and release your lower legs to help keep the blood moving.

Hip replacement surgery replaces the worn parts of your hip joint. When you leave the hospital, you will probably be walking with crutches or a walker. You may be able to climb a few stairs and get in and out of bed and chairs. But you will need someone to help you at home until you have more energy and can move around better.

You will go home with a bandage and stitches, staples, skin glue, or tape strips. You can remove the bandage when your doctor tells you to. If you have stitches or staples, your doctor will remove them about 2 weeks after your surgery. Glue or tape strips will fall off on their own over time. You may still have some mild pain, and the area may be swollen for 3 to 4 months after surgery. Your doctor may give you medicine for the pain.

You will continue the rehabilitation program (rehab) you started in the hospital. The better you do with your rehab exercises, the sooner you will get your strength and movement back. Most people are able to return to work 4 weeks to 4 months after surgery.

• Follow the instructions exactly about when to stop eating and drinking. If you don't, your surgery may be canceled. If your doctor told you to take your medicines on the day of surgery, take them with only a sip of water.
• Take a bath or shower before you come in for your surgery. Do not apply lotions, perfumes, deodorants, or nail polish.
• Do not shave the surgical site yourself.
• Take off all jewelry and piercings. And take out contact lenses, if you wear them.

At the hospital or surgery center

• Bring a picture ID.
• The area for surgery is often marked to make sure there are no errors.
• You will get antibiotics through the I.V. tube before surgery. This lowers the risk of an infection.
• You will be kept comfortable and safe by your anesthesia provider. The anesthesia may make you sleep. Or it may just numb the area being worked on.
• The surgery usually takes 1 to 3 hours.

Surgery can be stressful. This information will help you safely prepare and know what to expect.

• Follow the instructions exactly about when to stop eating and drinking. If you don't, your surgery may be canceled. If your doctor told you to take your medicines on the day of surgery, take them with only a sip of water.
• When you go home, you'll need someone to help you until you have more energy and can move around better.
• Be sure you have someone to take you home. Anesthesia and pain medicine will make it unsafe for you to drive or get home on your own.
• Tell your doctor ALL the medicines, vitamins, supplements, and herbal remedies you take. Some may increase the risk of problems during your surgery. Your doctor will tell you if you should stop taking any of them before the surgery and how soon to do it.
• You may need to shower or bathe with a special soap the night before and the morning of your surgery. This may help prevent an infection.

• Go slowly when you climb stairs. Make sure the lights are on. Have someone watch you, if possible. When you climb stairs:
  • Step up first with your unaffected leg. Then bring the affected leg up to the same step. Bring your crutches or cane up.
  • To go down stairs, reverse the order. First, put your crutches or cane on the lower step. Then bring the affected leg down to that step. Finally, step down with the unaffected leg.
• You can ride in a car, but stop at least once every hour to get out and walk around.
• If your doctor recommends exercises, do them as directed. You can cut back on your exercises if your muscles start to ache, but don’t stop doing them.