Physiotherapy

Total Hip Replacement

What To Expect

Recovery?

2- 5 nights is common to spend in hospital after the surgery. On average, it takes 14 days for the surgical incision to heal and in the initial 6 weeks, most patients improve dramatically.

It is a part of the normal healing process for the hip to become sore initially and then settle again.

The hip will take around 3-4 months to fully recover although continued improvements are be gained up to 1 year post-surgery.

Pain ?

The pain felt after the surgery varies and is influenced by many things including the procedure performed and the amount of pre-existing damage to the hip joint and weakness and imbalance of the surrounding muscles.

You will have pain medication and often antibiotics to help you recover after the operation.

Before and after the procedure a local anaesthetic is injected to minimise the pain you may feel from surgery and most patients are pleasantly surprised at how little pain they have after the procedure.

Walking ?

You are allowed to fully weight bear and walk immediately. At first this is aided with crutches but most will be able to walk independently again at 2 weeks post operation.

Returning to work?

Depending on the procedure and the type of work you participate in, return to work may vary. Office workers can usually return within 2-3 weeks as opposed to more labour intensive work sites may require 10-12 weeks.

During these periods, patients are not fit to perform work duties that involve:

• Prolonged standing,
• Heavy lifting,
• Bending or
• Excessive stair climbing

Returning to sport ?

Low impact activities, such as cycling and swimming, can be commenced from week 4.

High impact activities, such as running and jumping, are best avoided for 8-12 weeks post-surgery.

Best results?

Participating and completing a tailored exercise program after surgery with a trained physiotherapist will achieve the best result for you after surgery.