More than half a million hip replacement surgeries are performed in the US every year—and that number continues to grow, as seniors stay active longer and advances in medical technology make the operation quicker, easier and less painful. In fact, some of today’s recipients are even going home on the same day as their surgery.
“You’ll be standing on the same day as your surgery,” says Valerie Britton, MSN, RN, Advanced Specialty Coordinator with Sarasota Memorial. “And it’s going to feel better than before you had surgery, because now you have a joint that’s working.”
Sound amazing?
Here’s a quick rundown of what to expect, if you’re expecting hip replacement surgery.
Waking Up After Surgery
You’ll wake up in the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) or the Recovery Room.
At this point, the anesthesia is wearing off but the pain medication and nerve blockers will still be in effect, so you should not be in pain. Staff will check your vitals and help deal with any anesthesia-induced nausea.
Your stay in the recovery room will be brief—just long enough to make sure you are stable and coming out of anesthesia well—and then you will be transferred to the Orthopedic Unit. On the Orthopedic Unit, your rehab and recovery will begin straightaway.
Recovery Begins
Up on the Orthopedic Unit, the idea is to get you and that hip moving as soon as is possible. Some may think that this is a time for lying down and taking it easy, but the experts know that the sooner the recovery begins, the more effective it is. So a physical therapist will begin working with you soon after your arrival.
“We will manage your pain and we will not let it interfere with the activities that you need to do,” says Britton. “But you’re not in the hospital to sleep; you’re in the hospital because you need acute care by medical professionals. And you have a busy dance card when you’re here.”
Recovery goals on the day of surgery are modest but important. They include:
- Using the Incentive Spirometer to breathe deeply as directed. This helps prevent pneumonia and promote recovery, while your lungs are still “sleepy.”
- Perform gluteal squeezes and ankle pump exercises as you learned in your SMH Joint Replacement Class. These keep the blood flowing, reducing stroke risk, and keep the muscles active.
- Urinate
- Eat/Drink. Throughout your time in the unit, you will quickly progress from ice chips and water to solid foods.
- Stand. When you’re ready, a physical therapist will assist you in rising from the bed and transferring in and out of the bed safely, with the help of a walker.
When these goals are met and the post-surgery pain is manageable, most are ready to head home and continue their recovery from there.
Home Recovery
Your home should already be prepared for your arrival and recovery, including a “command center” set up where you can reach all of your necessities and are within close range of the bathroom. Having help living with you for the first few days is also highly recommended.
At home, a careful schedule of medications for pain will keep the worst of the pain at bay. (You’ll be surprised at how effective Tylenol can be.) This will allow you to continue your rehab exercises.
In the beginning, a physical therapist from Home Health will schedule an appointment to visit you in your home. They will inspect your surgery site, check your bandage, and assist you in your rehab routine.
“We’re going to make sure that you’re safe,” says Britton. “That you’re able to take care of yourself and that your pain is controlled, so you can do all the exercises that you need to do.”
It is important to get five minutes of movement every hour you are awake, but you can stay in the house, at first, and don’t have to venture far from your command center. A trip to the bathroom counts! By day two or three, most of the swelling should have lessened, and you’ll be ready to incorporate modest walks and more movement.
“It’s completely counterintuitive for someone who has been favoring a painful joint for a while,” says Britton, “but the more you move, the less you hurt.”
Movement, she says, is medicine.
Back to Normal
Of course, the real question everyone has is: When will I be back to normal?
The answer will vary from patient to patient, but the average recovery time ranges from six weeks to two months. At that point, strength and endurance are typically back to normal levels, but now with a durable and fully functional hip replacement.
“And that joint is new and strong and it wants to move,” says Britton.
So get moving.
Connect with SMH’s Ortho Experts
Have a question about orthopedic surgery? Wonder whether joint replacement is right for you? Ask our Ortho nurse navigator at (941) 917-7997 or visit our website.
Written by Sarasota Memorial copywriter Philip Lederer, MA, who crafts a variety of external communications for the healthcare system. SMH’s in-house wordsmith, Lederer earned his Master’s degree in Public Administration and Political Philosophy from Morehead State University, KY, and has the hamstrings of a 90-year-old.