Hip Replacement

This video will help you prepare yourself and your home for your hip surgery. You will learn what to expect during your rehabilitation on the ward and how to plan for your discharge from hospital.

Before surgery

Hip exercises

It is important to start your exercises before your operation because this will help to make all the tissues and muscles around the hip much stronger so you are more able to get up and move after your operation.

Practising these exercises before your operation also helps you prepare for what is coming after your surgery – the recovery phase is sometimes called rehabilitation.

Why not try and get your family to join in with these exercises, see who can do them best and then after your operation everyone around is ready to support you as best they can.

Download your step by step exercises. It’s important to do these exercises regularly – a diagram of each exercise is provided in the booklet given to you by your physiotherapist.

Your Surgery

Hip replacement operations usually take between 1 and 2 hours.

A member of the team, either a physiotherapist, nurse or another member of staff will help you to take your first steps after your operation. For most people we help you to get out of bed within 12 to 24 hours of your operation.

To do this we will teach you how to use a walking aid, this might be a zimmer frame or crutches. The day after your operation you will need to begin your exercises, these are the same ones you have been practising at home.

A physiotherapist will be visiting you when you are in hospital and helping you to feel confident doing your exercises. Before you go home we need to be sure you can manage on stairs, you might hear this referred to as a stairs assessment. Most people stay in hospital between 2 and 3 days when having a hip replacement.

Your artificial hip will not allow heavy work, lifting or running and heavy gardening and impact sports will be limited. You may kneel following your hip replacement but you will not be able to rest back fully on your heels.

You can find more details in our leaflet: Total Hip Replacement -A guide to your Rehabilitation

After Surgery

It is normal to have a degree of swelling and bruising to your leg following surgery. If you have any concerns after discharge home, with anything, particularly your wound, pain or swelling please feel free to contact Ward C3 for advice, and assessment if indicated.

It is important that once you go home from hospital, you follow hip precautions when performing everyday activities. Please read the Total Hip Replacement: a guide to your rehabilitation leaflet for advice on the exercises you need to follow.

Returning to work

You may return to ‘light’ duties as soon as you feel able to do so and continue on ‘light’ duties for the first three months after your hip operation.

Driving

You may begin driving again six weeks after surgery providing you can do an emergency stop.

Sport

It is advisable that you avoid any sport which involves excessive movement of your hip (e.g.: Yoga) or jogging or jarring of your hip joint (e.g.: running, squash). Avoid swimming for three months. Please also refer to the booklet provided to you by your occupational therapist that includes a full list of sports and when they may be resumed.

Sex

Sexual relations may resume cautiously from six weeks to three months. The person with the hip replacement should lie on their back whilst their partner is on top. There are no limits after six months, however care should be taken to avoid excessive bending of the hip.

Precautions to remember at home after your total hip replacement

These restrictions apply for 6 weeks:

  1. Do not cross your legs
  2. Do not bend your hips past 90 degrees (a right angle)
  3. Do not lift your knee above your hip
  4. Do not twist your leg or waist

Information leaflets

Below we’ve included links to some of our patient information leaflets. They may help to answer any questions you have about coming into hospital for surgery.

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