Anterior hip replacement surgery can significantly improve mobility and reduce pain. Understanding the recovery process is key to preparing for this procedure. This article outlines what to expect after an anterior hip replacement, covering your hospital stay, returning home, rehabilitation, and resuming daily activities.
Your Hospital Stay
Immediately after anterior hip replacement, pain management is a primary focus. Medication, including oral pain relievers or nerve blocks, helps keep discomfort manageable. Early mobilization is encouraged, with many patients standing and taking steps with assistance within hours. This movement helps prevent complications and promotes circulation.
A hospital stay typically lasts one to three days, depending on individual progress. Physical therapists guide initial exercises, focusing on gentle range of motion and strengthening. Discharge planning ensures you have necessary support and equipment for a safe return home, including assistive devices and follow-up care instructions.
Returning Home
At home, pain management continues with prescribed oral medications, tapered down over several weeks. Proper wound care prevents infection; keep the incision clean and dry, watching for redness or discharge. Most patients use assistive devices like a walker or crutches for the first few weeks to maintain stability.
Navigating daily activities requires adjustments. Therapists demonstrate techniques for bathing, dressing, and using the toilet while protecting the hip. Stairs are managed one step at a time, leading with the unoperated leg up and the operated leg down. Adhering to precautions, like avoiding extreme hip flexion or rotation, minimizes dislocation risk. These precautions are less restrictive with an anterior approach compared to other techniques.
Rehabilitation and Activity Progression
Rehabilitation involves structured physical therapy, often beginning in the hospital and continuing as an outpatient program. Goals include restoring hip strength, improving range of motion, and regaining independence. Physical therapists guide exercises tailored to your progress, focusing on hip and core muscle activation. These might include gentle hip abduction, extension, and flexion movements within safe limits.
Formal physical therapy typically lasts several weeks to a few months, depending on individual recovery. As strength improves, you will progress to more challenging activities. Driving is usually possible after two to six weeks, once off pain medication and able to operate pedals. Light exercises, such as walking or stationary cycling, can be introduced within the first month or two. Returning to work depends on job demands; sedentary roles often resume within four to eight weeks.
Life Beyond Initial Recovery
Full recovery typically extends over several months, with most improvements within the first three to six months. Continued strengthening can occur for up to a year or more. Many return to recreational activities like walking, swimming, golfing, and cycling by three to six months post-surgery. Impact activities, such as running or jumping, are not recommended to preserve the implant’s longevity.
Long-term considerations include maintaining a healthy weight and engaging in regular, low-impact exercise to support the new hip. Follow-up appointments with your surgeon monitor the implant and assess recovery, typically at six months, one year, and periodically thereafter. Contact your doctor for persistent or increasing pain, warmth, redness, swelling, or sudden changes in hip function.