Total Hip Replacement

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

Risks

IF YOU'RE HEADING FOR THE HOSPITAL...

Before You Go

• Do not eat or drink anything (not even water) after the time your doctor recommends.
• You may take pills with a sip of water the morning of surgery.
• Do not take any aspirin or ibuprofen before surgery.
• You may be given a sleeping pill to take the night before surgery to help you sleep.
• Do not forget to bring any papers, given to you by the doctor about this surgery, with you to the hospital (such as consent forms).
• An anesthesiologist (an-is-THEE-se-OL-o-gist) may give you a call the night before surgery. This is the doctor who gives you medicine to make you sleepy during surgery.

When You Arrive

• Before Surgery:
  • You may be taught how to cough and deep breathe to lessen your chance of getting a lung infection after surgery.
  • Before surgery, you may learn special exercises to help make your hip stronger. You will also be taught how you will need to roll from side to side after the surgery.
  • You may need to have your hip cleaned with a special liquid before going to surgery. It may make your skin yellow, but it will come off later.
  • You may be given medicine to make you sleepy before you are taken to the operating room. You will be put to sleep during surgery.

What To Expect While You Are There

• Taking Vital Signs: These include your temperature, blood pressure, pulse (counting your heartbeats), and respirations (counting your breaths). A stethoscope is used to listen to your heart and lungs. Your blood pressure is taken by wrapping a cuff around your arm.
• Pulse Oximeter: You may be hooked up to a pulse oximeter (ox-IM-ih-ter). It is placed on your ear, finger, or toe and is connected to a machine that measures the oxygen in your blood.
• ECG: Also called a heart monitor, an electrocardiograph (e-LEK-tro-CAR-dee-o-graf), or EKG. The patches on your chest are hooked up to a TV-type screen or a small portable box (telemetry unit). This screen shows a tracing of each heartbeat. Your heart will be watched to make sure your body is handling the surgery well.
• Blood: Usually taken from a vein in your hand or from the bend in your elbow. Tests will be done on the blood. You may need to have these done more than once.
• IV: A tube placed in your vein for giving medicine or liquids. It will be capped or have tubing connected to it.
• Chest X-ray: This is a picture of your lungs and heart. The care givers use it to see how your heart and lungs are doing before surgery.
• ET Tube: During surgery, you may have a tube placed in either your mouth or nose that goes into the windpipe. This will protect your windpipe during surgery and allow your care giver to give you oxygen when you need it. After the tube is taken out you may have a sore throat.
• Oxygen: May be given to you during your surgery. You may also need extra oxygen as you are waking up from your surgery.
• After Surgery: You will be taken to a recovery room until you wake up. When you wake up or are close to waking up you will be taken back to your room. You will have a bandage over your skin where the surgeon performed the operation. Do not get out of bed until your doctor gives the go-ahead.
• Activity: You will need to rest in bed. Your bed will be kept flat at first. Your nurse will show you how far you can raise the head of the bed. Once you are feeling better, you will be allowed out of bed.
• Turning: Will need to be done in a special way after surgery. You will need to use pillows between your legs to keep the affected leg in position.
• Bathroom Needs: Will have to be taken care of on a special bed pan. Your nurse will tell you how to get on and off the bed pan so you do not hurt your hip.
• Physical Therapy: Will be started sometime after surgery. A physical therapist helps you do special exercises to make your hip stronger and move better.
• Pressure Stockings: May be put on your legs. They help keep the blood from sitting in the legs for a long time and causing clots.
• Medicines:
  • Antibiotics: May be given to keep you from getting an infection from the surgery. They may be given by IV, in a shot, or by mouth.
  • Blood Thinners: You may be given blood thinners to keep you from getting blood clots, especially if you will be resting in bed for a long time. Heparin, warfarin, or aspirin may be given.
  • Pain Medicine: May be given in your IV, as a shot, or by mouth. If the pain does not go away or comes back, tell a care giver right away.
  • Anti-Nausea Medicine: If pain medicine upsets your stomach, you may need additional medication to relieve the problem.

After You Leave

• Always take your medicine as directed. If you feel it is not helping, call your doctor. Do not quit taking it on your own.
• If you are taking antibiotics, take them until they are all gone--even if you feel well. Ask your doctor if you need to take antibiotics before seeing your dentist.
• If you are taking medicine that makes you drowsy, do not drive or use heavy equipment.
• You will need to use crutches for walking for the first 6 to 12 weeks. Then you may slowly start walking without crutches or a cane.
• For the next 3 months, you must be careful about how you move or place the affected leg.
• Do not cross your legs when you are sitting, lying, or standing.
• Keep the affected leg facing front at all times, even in bed. Never turn your hip or knee outward or inward.
• Put a pillow between your legs when you lie on your side.
• Do not bend over at the hips to reach into cupboards or drawers or to pick things up from the ground.
• Do not sit on low chairs, low stools, or low toilet seats. Do not sit in reclining chairs. You may need to use a firm cushion to raise chair seats. Consider renting or buying a raised toilet seat.
• Sit only in chairs that have arms. When you get up from a chair, move to the edge and use the chair arms to push yourself up. Place the affected leg in front of the other. Push up with the good leg, keeping the affected leg in front while getting up.
• Swimming, golf, walking, and bicycling are usually permitted. Do not do exercises that repeatedly jar the hip joint, such as tennis and jogging.
• Do not drive after your surgery until your doctor gives the go ahead.
• Until you are walking around more often, you may need to wear support socks to help lessen swelling in your legs.

Call Your Doctor If...

• You have fever, swelling, or redness at your surgery site.
• You have increased pain in the affected hip or have trouble moving around.

Seek Care Immediately If...

• You fall and injure your hip.
• You have trouble breathing.
• The affected leg (or toes) begins to feel numb and tingly or cool to the touch, or looks blue or pale.