Have you had a hip replacement?

Question

I'm having one in six days. What can I expect when I come home? I'm 65 and live alone.

Answer 1

I have had both of my hips replaced (in separate surgeries). There are lots of things you can do before the surgery to get your home ready for your recovery. Such things as placing needed items in kitchen, bedroom and bath where you won't have to stoop over to get to them; picking up all throw rugs and clearing a path in the areas of the house that you'll use most; figuring out where you'll sit (any chair you sit in needs to have arms, be firm, and be high enough that you don't bend past 90 deg. when you sit); and stocking up on groceries and maybe even buying or preparing easy-to-reheat meals to freeze. A cell phone and/or cordless phone is really handy as you can carry it with you wherever you go. A bag to hang on your walker also is handy for carrying things with you. Line up people to run errands and give you rides should you need them (which you will for things such as going to outpatient PT, dr. appts, lab appts, etc.) After a few weeks, you may start to get cabin fever and may welcome such things as short car rides, going out to lunch, etc. So, when someone asks you how they can help, tell them to offer to take you out for a ride or to the store, lunch, whatever. I went grocery-shopping during week 3 (not alone). I pushed the cart and it served as my "walker". This became one of the ways that I got some exercise and practice walking plus it got me out of the house. Driving a car will probably be proscribed for up to 6 weeks. This is another reason that you need to line up people to take you places.

In my experience, a home care nurse and a physical therapist visited me about 4 times each during the first 2 weeks I was home. I was alone during the day time except for occasional visitors. I wasn't alone at night. I got along fine. You might want to have someone stay over at your house for a couple of nights at first although you may not even need them.

Sometimes the surgeon sends a patient to a rehab center directly from the hospital. They might be there for a week or two, then go home. However, most people go directly home unless they are elderly; live alone and have no social support system; or have other health problems that might complicate things.

You can expect to have a hard time getting a good night's sleep for awhile. You can expect that you will be able to fix a simple meal for yourself; get in and out of bed and up and down from a chair; give yourself a sponge bath; go up and down steps safely; dress and undress; walk using a walker or crutches. You can expect that everything you do will take you three times longer than it used to! Fortunately this is temporary. You will probably be very tired and want to nap. There may be swelling of the thigh, leg or ankle on your operated leg. You may be sent home with an abduction pillow and told to sleep on your back with it strapped between your legs. If so, you will probably really hate that thing! You may even cheat and switch to a fat bed pillow. The hospital Occupational Therapist and Physical Therapist will instruct you in how to do all of the above safely. They will supply you with tools that can make these activities possible and safe for you - such things as a long-handled reacher, dressing stick, long-handled shoe horn, sock-helper, etc.

It is highly unlikely that you will need a wheelchair. In fact, you need to be up and walking around with the walker because too much sitting and lying around causes swelling in the legs.

Other things that you may need include a higher toilet seat or a rented 3in1 commode, a walker or crutches or both. All of these things may be available to rent. You need to check out your bathing situation - tub/shower units are a little trickier than stall showers - it's possible but you may need a shower/bath chair of some sort. Tub baths are "out" for awhile. Grab bars are nice 9but not absolutely necessary) in a shower or next to a toilet.

You'll probably have a regimen of exercises to do daily. Do them! They may seem simple but you'll discover that they aren't. Gradually you will see your leg get stronger as the days go by. Also, you may be given a list of precautions about your hip. A common one is to avoid bending the hip joint past 90 degrees. Your doctor's list of precautions will be determined by the type of procedure that he does.

Good luck to you with your new hip. I hope that you have as good an outcome as I have had. I went from a person who could hardly walk and lived on pain meds to someone today who walks miles and takes no pain meds at all. It's a miraculous surgery.

Answer 2

The operation is the easy part, its the rehab that's important. Mkae sure your Dr. know you live alone-maybe your insurance plan will cover rehab in a facility to get you more comfortable with movement. Give yourself 6 months and do your exercises, even if painful. My partner had 2 done at once @ 64 and made out fine, going to NYC where they only do a 3-4 inch scar versus the 10-inch one. If you do not have a stand-up shower, bathing will be tough when home as you cannot lift your leg and twist for a few weeks over the tub height. If you cannot get a home health aide, then call upon your friends, family, church etc to help you out during the recovery period. You'll be ready to dance and shake those hips by New Year's Eve! Best of Luck!

Answer 3

My mother could get around OK, you may need a wheelchair, so, clear you your running area now before you go so your wheelchair can move you around. Set things like canned goods on the counter so they easy to reach and drinking glasses. Have the bathroom clear as possible, you may get one of those seats for the Toilet and it help if there someone to help clean things. A Nurse and Therapist may come every few days or you may have to go to Therapy. Sometimes you can request this Van to pick you up and bring you home, ask!!!! Try to think of the everyday items you need and have them within easy reach in case you can not get out of a wheelchair. You should be walking soon, so, do not worry.

Answer 4

You will most likely have rehab in the hospital. Social services will come in and go over all your needs and help set that up.
Make sure everyone knows you live alone.
Hip surgery is so much easier these days. And the physical therapy is very important for a quick recovery.
Good luck to you.

Answer 5

The price of hip replacement surgery is very low in India as compared to USA, UK and Canada. My cousin also got her hip replacement surgery in India through the forerunners healthcare .She is more than very happy with the results. She is totally pain free now. She just paid 25% of the amount she was quoted in USA and is all praise for this forerunners healthcare company.


Forerunners Healthcare is very famous in India. I read a lot about them in the Newspapers and magazines. I have read a lot of their patient stories also. They arrange financing for USA, Canadian, UK and other international patients who plan to have surgery abroad for low price, as all joint surgery is not covered by insurance in USA or by NHS in the UK. They also have photos pasted of their International patients. You can checkout their website. There are huge cost savings. As a doctor I personally believe that your surgery can be easily handled in India, as the quality of healthcare available In India is simply best in the world. The surgeons are USA/UK trained and facilities are 5 star.

http://www.forerunnershealthcare.com
Hope this helps.

Answer 6

here is a great site about hip replacements.