After Surgery

Immediately after surgery, you wake up in the recovery room. Dr Kohan and staff monitor you, checking your blood pressure, temperature and pulse. Dr Kerr will assess your pain. Also a post-operative x-ray will be performed. There will be a drain in your hip and a urinary catheter, and a pillow between your legs. The pillow between your legs may be used to keep your new hip in position. You will have an I.V. or a drip into the back of your hand. The I.V. provides antibiotics and fluids if needed. You will need to wear TED stockings (white and knee high). These stockings help reduce the risk of blood clot in your calves. The nurses can help you with coughing and deep breathing exercises to help prevent lung complications, and start you on the road to a safe recovery.

When you return to the ward, you will have:

• One large pillow in between your legs for hip position.
• Drain. To be removed within 24hrs.
• Urinary catheter.
• TED Stockings (knee high white stockings) must be worn for 2 weeks after surgery.
• Drip, this will provide hydration and blood if you need it.

Your Hospital Recovery

The key to your successful hospital recovery is keeping your hip in position as it heals. After a short period of initial healing, you will be started on easy physiotherapy exercises to promote healing and get you walking again before you go home.

Your hospital stay will be a combination of rest and rehabilitation.

Initial Healing

After your total hip replacement, you can expect 1 or 2 days of bed rest. To keep your new hip in position, you may have a special bed that keeps your hip from bending beyond 90 degrees.

An abduction pillow keeps your legs shoulder width apart and prevents them from rotating inwards. Support stockings in calf compression cuffs maybe used to help prevent circulation problems.

Ted Stockings

Ted stockings (white) must be worn for 1 - 2 weeks following surgery, removing them at bedtime and putting them on prior to getting out of bed. The Ted stockings are available from the hospital on admission. The Ted stockings help with the decreased risk of deep vein thrombosis.

At Home

Incision Care

The incision is sutured with skin staples. These need to be removed 7 days after surgery. You may change the dressing as needed to keep the dressing clean and dry. The nurses in the hospital will help you change the dressing if needed. You may not get the incision wet until the staples are removed, therefore, you must sponge bath. You may shower 2 days after sutures are removed, but may not bathe or swim until 2 weeks from the surgery date. You may apply Vitamin E or some moisturising lotion to the incision after the staples are removed. Some swelling and warmth is expected after surgery. If you develop increased redness, drainage, or a fever, please call the office immediately. Bruising around the thigh and buttock area is not uncommon. It may extend down into your leg and will resolve in 10 - 14 days.

If you develop increased redness, drainage, or fever, please call the office.

Walking

Upon discharge from hospital you will be walking with crutches. You may discontinue using crutches after being assessed by Dr Kohan or Rebecca, on your postoperative visit.

After this time you may use a cane, or if you feel confident you may discontinue using any walking aids.

You may go up and down stairs as needed, but only straight legged for the first 2 weeks. After this time there should be enough flexibility and repair from the muscles around your hip.