What is Hip Replacement? A Review of Total Hip Arthroplasty, Hip Resurfacing, and Minimally-Invasive Hip Surgery.
Edited By: Seth S. Leopold, M.D.
Last updated Friday, January 12, 2007
Recovering from surgeryPain and pain management There are several options for pain control. Most commonly, a patient
will have control over his/her own pain management, using a
Patient-Controlled Anesthesia (PCA) device. Using an electronic device,
programmed with a safe but effective dosing approach, the patient uses
a button to tell the machine when to administer a dose of painkiller,
either through an intra-venous (I.V.) tube in the arm or through the
epidural catheter in the lower back, if one was used.
Use of medications Following discharge from the hospital, most patients will take pain
pills (usually Percocet, Vicoden, or Tylenol #3) for an average of two
to six weeks after the procedure, mainly to help with physical therapy
and home exercises for the hip. Some patients don’t even need the
medications for that long.Effectiveness of medications Most patients report that although there is some post-operative pain,
it is quite manageable with the PCA device. Most patients also report
that the pain steadily declines with each passing day.Hospital stay The average hospital stay is three days in length after a total hip replacement.Recovery and rehabilitation in the hospital Physical therapy is started on the day of (or the day after)
surgery. Patients generally are encouraged to walk, and to bear as much
weight on the leg as they are comfortable doing. Other exercises to
help with balance and getting into and out of bed are initiated on the
day of surgery or the next morning.
At the UW Medical Center, The physical therapist is an integral
member of the “team” approach, and the patient’s own high level of
motivation and enthusiasm for recovery are very important elements in
determining the ultimate outcome. Hospital discharge Patients are encouraged to walk using a walker, crutches, or cane as
needed. Immediate weight bearing is permitted in most cases, depending
on other surgical circumstances.
Patients are allowed to shower following hospital discharge provided
that there is no drainage coming from the incision site. We do not
recommend that patients drive while taking narcotic-based pain
medications; on average, patients are able to drive between two and
four weeks after the surgery.
Each patient will be instructed in “Hip Precautions” after surgery.
This is a short list of restrictions on particular motions, designed to
prevent dislocation of the joint replacement. Which specific
precautions are used in an individual case depends on the approach
used, but in general, patients are encouraged to avoid the extremes of
hip rotation (twisting motions of the leg) and flexion (bending
forward). Low chairs, low couches, and swivel chairs should be avoided.
After about six weeks, some of those restrictions are relaxed--for
example, most patients can easily put on shoes and socks once they’ve
recovered from surgery and the surgeon gives them the OK--but others,
including extreme flexion and rotation, should always be limited to be
on the safe side.
Convalescent assistance Patients who live alone, or who feel they would benefit from the
extra support or attention, usually are able to go to an inpatient
rehabilitation hospital or an extended-care facility after hospital
discharge. At UW, that rehab hospital is on-site, so the switch to
rehab doesn’t even require going in a car or ambulance.
Sometimes younger patients or patients who have enough help at home will decide to go straight home after hospital discharge. Surgery for hip arthritis at the University of Washington If you are interested in making an appointment to discuss this procedure, you can request an appointment using our online referrals website. To request a referral online, please click here. You can also call the Bone & Joint Surgery Center at 206-598-3354 or Eastside Specialty Clinic at 425-646-7777 to make an appointment.
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