Can anyone tell me about the recovery period after Hip Replacement surgery?

[VRBeauty]

I’d like to know more about the normal recovery period following hip replacement surgery - what sort of activities are encouraged or restricted, for now long, etc.

Background: one of my husband’s sisters is - finally - scheduled to get one of her hips replaced in December. I say finally because she has needed it for years, but kept coming up with excuses to put off the surgery. Early last year her doctor finally convinced her that if she did not undergo the surgery soon, she was in danger of also ruining her knee on that side and severely, permanently, impacting her mobility. Then Covid hit, of course. And the sister and her hubby are planning to move across the country early next year, which could mean starting all over with the surgery prep (and prevarication) so we’re hoping she’ll follow through with the procedure that’s scheduled to take place in two months.

The thing is, she and her husband are currently living in a vintage trailer on our property. She hasn’t yet thought to ask what the post-op and recovery periods will entail, but I’m guessing that living in a trailer - with severely restricted space to move or do exercises, let alone use a walker - won’t fill the bill. So we’ve offered them the use of our spare bedroom during her recovery. I’m looking for some idea of how long we should expect them to be staying with us and what special accommodations might be needed.

I’ll admit to bring less than thrilled about the prospect, even though it was my idea to make the offer. They are adamant about not getting vaccinated, citing religious beliefs - and because they’ll be here in the dead of winter, throwing the windows open to increase ventilation will have its limits. If we could reasonably rent them a place to stay for that period we would. Unfortunately the housing market was already very tight here before this summer’s wildfires forced a hundred or more families to find new temporary housing, so it’s highly unlikely that we’d be able to find them an affordable apartment for her recovery period.

 

[lilmosun]

I've heard that it typically takes 2-4 weeks. From what I have seen with friends, it largely depends on the individual - how active they were before, how they follow their rehab plan, as well as other health/age factors. I'm sure other PSers can add with their own experience.

 

[pearlsngems]

It depends. If the surgery is done with the anterior approach, recovery is faster. My husband had this done a few years ago at age 71.
If there are no complications, patients are sent home the day after surgery if there is someone at home to help, or to a rehab center if the patient lives alone.

After coming home it is important to walk every day. First with a walker, but progressing as soon as tolerated to a cane. It doesn't take long before walking around and around the house is boring. Soon I was driving my husband to different malls every day for longer and longer walks. (It was winter, too cold to walk outside.) He was out of work for 2 months and worked hard at recovering. He had exercises he was told to do, and did them religiously.

Also, since many people wait to have surgery until they really need it, by then they have often become a bit deconditioned. It takes about the same number of months to get back in shape as one spent getting out of shape. My husband got cortisone injections every 6 months or so for several years before having the surgery. Meanwhile, he had become less active as the injections began to be less effective. So he did have to regain strength and endurance in the months after surgery. He was surprised to find that he fatigued easily. The orthopedic surgeon said it would take about a year to recover fully, and he found that this was so.

 

[pearlsngems]

Also she will need an elevated toilet seat. We have a comfort height toilet and that was adequate.
She will need a long handled shoehorn to help her get her shoes on, a sock-donning aid, a long handled brush for bathing, and a shower bench.

 

[VRBeauty]

Also she will need an elevated toilet seat. We have a comfort height toilet and that was adequate.
She will need a long handled shoehorn to help her get her shoes on, a sock-donning aid, a long handled brush for bathing, and a shower bench.

Pearlsngems - thank you for your replies. They’re very helpful! Some of what you’ve said sounds familiar because it’s similar to steps we took for my father, when he returned home after surgery to drain blood that had accumulated in his skull after a fall. And I’m glad to note that my SIL has remained pretty active and continued to walk pretty extensively in the time she’s been living next to us - even though we’re concerned about continued damage to not just her hip, but also that knee and other joints involved.

One or two more questions, if I may. Did you need to bring in a hospital bed during the recovery period? We’re there visits to or from physical therapists involved?

Thank you again!

 

[pearlsngems]

We did not need a hospital bed.

He needed pillows to elevate his leg and to place between his knees when side-lying on the non-operative side. Side-lying on the operative side was not allowed. He was also not supposed to flex his hip past 90º, so he had to have a chair with arms to help him get up, and it had to be high enough that he would not have to bend forward to get up. (The typical living room armchair would probably not suffice-- too soft, too low, chair arms too far apart to help in getting up.) We used one of our dining room chairs that has arms, and bought a square egg-crate cushion to make it more comfortable.

Again for dressing, we got him elastic shoe laces for all his lace-up shoes. A woman might not want to wear Oxfords, but it's best to wear a shoe that is low and stable for balance.

He did not need a PT to visit and did not have to go to outpatient PT. I am actually a retired PT but I did not have to oversee his exercises-- he was given clear instructions.

You will need to make sure there is a wide passageway for her to walk with her walker or cane-- and remove any scatter rugs or anything else that could she could trip on, catch the legs of the walker or cane on. We had to move furniture to make sure there was plenty of space. (Our home is small.)

For any dressers she will be using, place her items in the upper drawers so she doesn't have to bend over to get her clothes. Same for fridge-- be sure she doesn't have to bend over to get fruit etc. from lower bins.

She will need at least one long handled grabber. She'll need this to don clothing. We had several kinds; my husband used them for different functions.

She will need some way to carry stuff around with her walker. They sell bags you can hang on the walker.
A folding, rolling walker with wheels in front and "skis" in the back is best. The skis glide over floor and carpet easily.
The walker should be adjusted to the correct height for her. If it's too high it will not provide enough support and will be tiring to use.

When she graduates to a cane she should adjust that to the right height, too. I am forever stopping stangers to adjust their canes for them. You cannot believe how many people go around with canes adjusted too high! Also-- get a cane that has a padded handle. If using a borrowed/inherited/pre-owned cane, be sure the rubber grip at the bottom is not worn out or cracked.

Sorry for all the edits!

 

[pearlsngems]

The following information applies if the bathroom she will use only has a tub/shower combination.

In this case, transferring will be a bit tricky and she will need help from her husband. The shower bench will need to be a tub transfer bench, which extends outside the tub (google images, there are various brands and styles). The person sits on the part of the bench that is outside the tub, then has lift to their legs, one at a time, over the side of the tub, then slide over to be fully inside the tub. She would need help from her husband to lift the operative leg and the hip must not be flexed more than is allowed. It's hard not to get water all over the floor when the bench extends outside the tub-- a shower curtain isn't much help-- and it's also hard for the helper not to get wet! A handheld shower helps. Be sure to mop up the floor of any water before she gets out! And her husband must take care not to slip on the slippery, wet floor, also!

If instead of a shower curtain there is a sliding glass door, it would be impossible to use a tub transfer bench. There would not be room to swing the leg over the tub--the bench could not be set back far enough to allow the legs room to swing over. If there is a sliding glass door, she will have to use another shower, or you'll have to remove the sliding glass shower doors.

Prior to my husband's surgery we only had a shower-tub combo with a sliding glass door. We needed to redo our bathroom anyway, so we had the tub removed, and had a tiled, no-lip walk-in shower put in, with a handheld shower attachment. We're hoping to age in place here. This way we will always have access to the shower.

 

[pearlsngems]

Some people have difficulty getting up from bed following surgery, especially if the bed is rather low. If so, a bedside grab bar can help, like these:

Amazon.com : bedside grab bar

What she should not do is use the walker to pull herself up to a standing position, whether from a chair or from the bed. The walker is not stable enough for that. It can tip toward her, and cause her to fall back.

 

[Wink]

My experience was that if you prepared for the surgery with some months of serious work outs designed to strengthen the muscles of your legs and abdomen, that recovery was very quick. I was sent home the day after surgery to have my right hip replaced.

I had a followup with the PA four days later and demonstrated that I was ready to resume driving and was indeed given my license back. I slept in a recliner for about a week and after that was back into my wonderful bed. I was also back to the gym after only a week, which further accelerated healing.

I found an elongated shoe horn to be a wonderful accessory for putting on my shoes, and for the first couple of weeks, the sock puller upper thing that Resa found was a godsend.

Both my PA and my doctor were very pleased with my recovery and credited proper preparation with cutting the required recovery time greatly.

 

[GliderPoss]

Some solid advice above. My dad had 2 replacements done this year, unfortunately the same one had to be redone causing a longer recovery period. He followed all the doctors directions but overdid it on the physio after the first operation (classic overachiever!) and the implant never grafted properly to the socket. His second one was successful and he was more or less back to normal after about 8-12weeks. Barely has a limp now & can make it through a full round of golf. Agree she will need some daily help in the initial period and I think living in a caravan at that stage is impractical.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Good advice! One tip, no sitting in low chairs or sofas is allowed. My friend thought a nice rest on her favorite soft low sofa would be restful--she dislocated her new joint!

cheers--Sharon

 

[Ann]

I have had 2 replacements. Well, actually one replacement then another to repair what that idiot Dr. did. But it sounds like you have been given very good advice here. I might add that the pain can be lessened by the ice packs that are connected to an automatic cooler. I had one for my revision surgery but didn't really need it. That was done thru the anterior approach. Awesome surgeon!! The first surgery was due to a very tough fall and I ended up in the ER with a broken hip. That surgery took months to get over due to a lousy Dr. Also the long grabber sticks are a necessity. You do not want to be bending over to pick things up. I had them all over my house.

 

[VRBeauty]

Many thanks to everyone who responded! You’ve confirmed what we suspected - that my SIL will probably be spending some time with us, because recovery in the trailer just is not an option. It’s good to know what to expect, snd what to prepare for, and I now have a list of items to be on the lookout for if I should find myself in a thrift store.

Am I revealing too much if I admit that I already have a long-handled shoe horn?

If anyone thinks of anything else, I’m all ears.

Thank you all again!