Whether you are just exploring treatment options or deciding to go for a hip replacement surgery, the article will help you to know about precautions for hip replacement surgery. After successful surgery, the hip joint can be replaced with an implant.
In this article, we will talk about lifetime precautions after hip replacement restrictions, and positions to avoid after treatment.
Highlights:
Lifetime Precautions after Hip Replacement
After hip replacement, it is important to take some precautions to protect your new hips. It helps to reduce the risk of dislocation and other injuries. Though the restrictions get reduce after some time you need to take care of your hip for a long time after your surgery. The following are lifetime precautions after hip replacement:
Obey Movement Restrictions
There is a long list of things to avoid after hip replacement such as bending the knees or hips further than 90 degrees. After hip replacement, you should not cross the legs and avoid lifting the leg. You can put on socks to protect your hips from dislocation.
According to a study, 4% of the patients suffer from hip dislocation which becomes a typical complication in hip replacement surgery. Hip dislocation is a serious complication and it can be quite painful and might need a second surgery.
Use a Walker or Cane
After hip replacement, using a walker or cane can be helpful to prevent hip dislocation or falling. Moreover, it will also make other people more cautious about precautions for hip replacement surgery. Over time, you can reduce your dependence on the walker or cane.
Treat The Hip Pain
The patient needs to get pain relief after hip replacement surgery. When the pain gets uncontrolled, it can cause difficulty in rehabilitation exercise and result in chronic pain. Some people often refuse to take medication due to many reasons and it can make the pain severe. You should consult your doctor about the hip pain after hip replacement and ask for pain relief medications.
Total Hip Replacement Precautions
After the total hip replacement, you might expect to get to your normal routine and lifestyle – but without pain. But you must understand that it might take some time to get to resume your daily activities. There are a few precautions that you should take after your hip replacement surgery to avoid hip dislocation and many other problems.
For example, you might need to learn new ways to bend down to keep your new hip protected. The hospital stay during the total hip replacement might last from 1 to 4 days depending on your recovery speed. If your surgery is done on an outpatient basis then you might be discharged from the hospital the same day.
You should avoid rotating your hip inwards to avoid hip dislocation. An effective way to manage your hip replacement is to cooperate and visit regularly with your physical therapist and follow the prescribed precautions to avoid any injuries.
Hip Replacement Restrictions After 5 Weeks
After six weeks of your hip replacement surgery, the soft tissues involved in the surgery get healed and the doctors lift restrictions on more vigorous activities. The doctors often prescribe avoiding repetitive impact activities because they can increase wear on the implant.
Most of the patients can perform the majority of their daily activities after 6 weeks of their hip replacement. You should avoid pivoting your leg to avoid hip dislocation. After hip replacement, sleep on your back or operated side as directed by the doctor. You should also avoid driving until your doctor allows it.
Positions to Avoid After Hip Replacement
After hip replacement, the doctors prescribe you to avoid certain positions to avoid issues like hip pain and dislocation. The following are the positions to avoid after hip replacement:
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Crossing your legs
After hip replacement, you should avoid crossing your legs because it prevents the hip from healing properly.
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Forward Bending
While recovering from hip replacement, you should avoid bending your hip up more than 90 degrees. Moreover, you should take the right positions even while sleeping after hip replacement. You should avoid sleeping on your stomach and avoid sleeping with pillows under your knees.
Conclusion:
Hip replacement is a complex surgery and the patients need to follow proper precautions as prescribed by the doctor. In some cases, when the patients do not take necessary precautions, they suffer from hip pain and dislocation that can also lead to a second surgery.
There are some specific positions you should avoid such as crossing the legs or forwards bending to protect your new hip. We hope this article has cleared your doubts regarding the precautions for hip replacement surgery. We wish you good luck with your treatment and hope for the best.
Dr. Kundan K Jha
MBBS - DNB Orthopaedic Surgery - FIJR, FIAS
Dr. Kundan Kumar Jha is a Sport Injury Specialist,Sports Medicine Surgeon and Joint Replacement Surgeon in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad and has an experience of 7 years in these fields. Dr. Kundan Kumar Jha practices at Regenio Lakki Scope Orthopaedics in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad. He completed MBBS from UCMS in 2015 and DNB - Orthopedics/Orthopedic Surgery from National Board of Examination, India in 2020.