There are two different types of hip replacement surgeries being performed today, minimally invasive and traditional. People recover differently from each of the two, but in both cases, a hospital stay is required as well as extensive physical therapy.
Instructions
Recover from Traditional and Minimally Invasive Hip Replacement Surgery
1. Keep a pillow or abduction wedge between your legs when you are in bed. This will prevent your legs from crossing and potentially dislocating the hip.
2. Wear compression stockings on your legs to promote healthy blood flow and avoid blood clots.
3. Take pain medication as needed. It is important to remain comfortable and as pain-free as possible, so a good pain-management plan should be in place.
4. Avoid moving your legs in certain ways to avoid dislocating your hip prosthesis. The following movements should be avoided: rotating or turning your foot or leg inward, twisting the body and bending more than 90 degrees at the hips.
5. Use a raised toilet seat so that you can avoid bending at a 90-degree angle, which can dislocate the hip.
6. Perform all exercises suggested to you by your physical therapist. The more you do these exercises, the faster you will recover from surgery and regain the most amount of movement.
7. Change your dressings and care for them as instructed. Do not shower until you are instructed to do so by your doctor.
8. Do not perform any activities that your doctor has told you to avoid. This includes driving and going to work.
9. Know that your recovery time may be less for minimally invasive hip replacement surgery. This procedure only requires two or three small incisions and requires less healing because there is less damage to the muscle during the hip replacement process.
Tags: your legs, minimally invasive, Replacement Surgery, that your, your doctor