Q: Will I need blood?
A: You may need blood after the surgery. You may donate your own blood, if able, or use the community-blood-bank supply.

Q: What are my anesthesia options?
A: You may have a general anesthetic, which most people call “being put to sleep,” or a spinal anesthetic. The choice is between you and the anesthesiologist.

Q: Will I have pain after surgery?
A: Yes, but we will keep you comfortable with appropriate medication. Generally most patients are able to stop very strong medication within one day. The day of surgery, most patients control their own medicine with a special pump that delivers the drug directly into their IV. Dr. Prashant Tripathi will discuss with you what pain control option is best for you.

Q: What are the risks involved with this surgery?
A: Risks include infection, blood loss, blood clots, and damages to nerves and arteries. Every precaution is taken to minimize these risks, including the use of pre and post surgery antibiotics, short term use of anticoagulants or compression devices and careful surgical technique.

Q: How long, and where, will my scar be?
A: The scar will be approximately 6–8 inches long. It will be along the side of your hip.

Q: Will I need a walker, crutches or cane?
A: Yes. Until your muscle strength returns after surgery, you will need a walker, a cane or crutches. Your equipment needs will be determined by the physical therapist and ordered for you by us and delivered to you before you leave the hospital.

Q: How long will I be in the hospital?
A: You will be discharged home when you are medically stable, you pass physical therapy, and your pain is controlled. For most patients this is 2-3 days following surgery.

Q: How soon can I take a bath or shower?
A: You can shower as soon as you feel comfortable doing so. You will have a waterproof bandage will need to stay on until your first visit to the clinic. Do not take a bath until your surgical incision is well healed.

Q: How do you take care of your incision?
A: You will have a waterproof bandage that will be put on before you leave the hospital.

Q: What to do about post-operative constipation?
A: It is very common to have constipation post-operatively. This may be due to a variety of factors but is especially common when taking narcotic pain medication. A simple over-the-counter stool softener is the best prevention for this problem. In rare instances, you may require a suppository or enema.

Q: Will I need any other equipment?
A: After hip-replacement surgery, you will need a high toilet seat for about three months. If needed, you will also be taught by the physical therapist to use adaptive equipment to help you with lower body dressing and bathing. You might also benefit from a bath seat or grab bars in the bathroom. Your home equipment needs can be arranged while you are in the hospital.

Q: Will I need physical therapy?
A: Formal physical therapy doesn’t play as significant a role in hip replacements as in knee replacements. A physical therapist can be arranged to visit you 2-3 times/week and review some simple strengthening exercises with you. However stretching and range of motion exercises are typically avoided. Specifically, patients should avoid hip flexion (the act of bending or the condition of being bent) of more than 90 degrees and rotation of more than 35-40 degrees in either direction as well as avoid crossing the midline of the body for approximately 12 weeks. We find the best therapy for our patients initially to be walking. Dr.  Prashant Tripathi may recommend formal physical therapy on an outpatient basis following your initial post-operative visit.

Q: Can I go up and down stairs?
A: Yes. Initially, you will lead with your un-operated leg when going up stairs, and with your operated leg when coming down. As your muscles get stronger and your motion improves, you will be able to perform stairs in a more normal fashion, usually in about one month. A good rule of thumb to remember when deciding which leg to lead with is “up with the good, down with the bad.”

Q: How much range of motion do I need?
A: Most patients note an improvement in the range of motion of their hip following hip replacement. However some patients may always have some difficulty with certain movements such as shoe and sock application and foot care due to the long standing contractures of the soft tissues about the hip. Initially patients should avoid hip flexion (the act of bending or the condition of being bent) of 90 degrees or more, hip rotation of more than 35-40 degrees, and crossing the body’s midline with the affected leg for approximately 12 weeks in order to avoid a dislocation of the hip joint. Do not force a body position past a feeling of stiffness. This feeling of stiffness often improves over the course of a year.

Q: I think my leg feels longer now. Is this possible?
A: Most patients have a sense that the operated leg feels longer early in their recovery and this may initially feel awkward. This is due to the fact that the affected leg is usually shorter than the unaffected leg prior to surgery. Arthritis is the process of the protective cartilage covering wearing away from the bone. As the cartilage in the hip joint is destroyed, this results in the leg becoming shorter. Eventually, patients become accustomed to their “new anatomy” following surgery, and do not have any long lasting sense of a leg length discrepancy. Occasionally, some patients choose to wear a small shim in a shoe. At times, the leg is intentionally lengthened at the time of surgery in order to tighten the surrounding soft tissues of the hip and prevent/limit the risk of dislocation. In the majority of cases your leg length will essentially be unchanged.

Q: My hip makes an intermittent clicking or bumping noise. Is this normal?
A: Yes. This is normal as the metal ball is contacting the plastic or metal liner. The weight of the leg may slightly distract the ball from the socket during the swing phase of gait leading to this sensation. This is not a harmful situation and some patients do experience this.

Q: Why does the skin around my hip feel numb?
A: This is a normal and expected finding. The sensory nerves are interrupted with the incision and this results in an area of numbness around the hip. Often, this improves over the course of one year, but may always feel somewhat different.

Q: Will I set off the security monitors at the airport?
A: You will probably set off the alarm as you progress through the security checkpoint. Be proactive and inform the security personnel that you have had a hip replacement and will most likely set off the alarm.

Q: Will I go to a rehabilitation facility or home after a total hip replacement?
A: It depends. Many people are able to go home after their total hip replacement operation. However, you may go to a rehabilitation hospital in order to gain the skills you need to safely return home. Many factors will be considered in this decision. These include availability of family or friends to assist with daily activities, home environment, safety considerations, post-operative functional status as evaluated by a physical therapist in the hospital, and overall evaluation by your hospital team.

Q: Should I use ice or heat after total hip replacement surgery?
A: Ice should be used for the first several weeks after total hip replacement surgery, particularly if you have a lot of swelling or discomfort. Once the initial swelling has decreased, you may use ice and/or heat.

Q: I have insomnia after total hip replacement surgery. Is this normal? What can I do about it?
A: Insomnia is a common complaint following hip replacement surgery. Nonprescription remedies may be effective. If insomnia continues to be a problem, medication may be prescribed for you by your primary care physician.