Life After Hip Replacement Surgery

If you’re undergoing hip replacement surgery, you may have questions about the recovery process. Modern hip replacement surgery is vastly different from the procedures of decades past, but there’s still a recovery period. 

At Scottsdale Hip and Knee in Scottsdale, Arizona, Dr. Ben Albert, performs robotic-assisted surgery using Stryker’s Mako system. 

Robotic joint replacement and the minimally invasive surgical techniques he uses allows for a smaller incision, more precise placement of the prosthetic hip joint, and better bone preservation than with traditional surgery. You experience less trauma to your soft tissue, so your recovery is much faster than with non-robotic surgery. 

Here, we discuss what you can expect as you recover from hip replacement surgery. 

How soon do you go home after hip replacement? 

Unless you have a preexisting condition, you likely can go home the day of surgery. Your physical therapist visits you and shows you how to get out of bed safely and use the bathroom. You can expect to use a walker at first. 

At home after hip replacement 

Before your surgery, arrange for a ride home from the hospital. And make sure you have someone to help you at home for a few days after your hip replacement.

Prepare your home before your surgery. Remove tripping hazards in the house, set up the bedroom you plan to use, and stock up on easy-to-make foods. 

Your care team determines the type of assistive device that best suits you. You’ll likely progress from a walker right after surgery to a cane in a few days to a few weeks, and you could walk without support within 2-3 weeks of your surgery. 

Physical therapy after hip replacement 

You attend physical therapy after your operation. This phase of recovery is critical. Physical therapy helps:

• Reduce inflammation to relieve pain
• Keep your hip from stiffening to increase mobility
• Strengthen muscles supporting your hip to aid balance 

You may have physical therapy sessions 2-3 times per week for about six weeks. These sessions include training in such daily activities as climbing stairs and entering/exiting a car, so you don’t hurt your hip.

Things to know about your hip replacement recovery

There are minimal postoperative restrictions following surgery due to the minimally invasive surgical techniques Dr. Albert uses and the robotic assisted surgery he performs. 

However, it is still important to use caution during your recovery process to make sure you do not overexert yourself or do something that could place you at risk for a fall. Following surgery, Dr. Albert and your physical therapist will guide you through the rehabilitation so that you have an accelerated recovery process that also keeps you safe.

Sports after hip replacement

We recommend low-impact sports like golf, tennis, cycling, hiking, and swimming instead of high-impact sports such as long distance running after a hip replacement. 

If you’d like to learn more about hip replacement surgery and recovery or have any other orthopedic needs, contact Scottsdale Hip and Knee: Ben Albert, MD, by phone or online today.