How to behave after hip arthroplasty: general recommendations

Rules to be observed after hip replacement:

1. In the first days after surgery, you can only sleep on your back, turning on your side is allowed after 3 days under the supervision of medical staff and on an unoperated side. You can sleep on the unoperated side two weeks after arthroplasty.
2. In the early days, a large amplitude of movements should be avoided: you should not move sharply, turn your leg, etc.
3. When sitting on a chair or toilet, make sure that the operated joint does not bend more than 90 degrees, you can not bend down, squat, cross your legs and throw them one on top of the other. It is advisable to sleep on a high bed, chairs should also be high (like bar ones)
4. The first six weeks after surgery, try to avoid taking a hot bath, preferring a warm shower. It is strictly forbidden to visit baths or saunas during the first 1.5 - 3 months of the postoperative period (in order to avoid thromboembolic complications).
5. Regularly need to engage in physical therapy.
6. Sexual relations are allowed 1.5-2 months after surgery
7. Sports such as horse riding, running, jumping, weightlifting are best eliminated, preferring swimming and walking.

Nutrition after hip replacement

After discharge and returning home, the patient should eat a balanced diet. At the same time, on the advice of a doctor, it is desirable:

• take certain vitamins;
• monitor weight;
• replenish the diet with iron-containing products;
• limit your intake of coffee, alcohol, and excessive intake of vitamin K.

In what cases do I need to see a doctor after a joint replacement surgery?

Alarming symptoms that indicate possible inflammation and complications of the rehabilitation period can be: high temperature (above 38 degrees), redness of the skin around the suture, discharge from the wound, chest pain, shortness of breath, increased joint pain, swelling. If these alarms occur, you should immediately contact your doctor.

In some cases, the patient after hip arthroplasty It is recommended to periodically take an X-ray, take urine and blood tests so that doctors can follow the healing process.

The first follow-up examination, as a rule, is carried out 3 months after the operation. During it, it becomes clear how the joint is “standing” and whether the leg can be fully loaded. The next follow-up examination is after 6 months. The purpose of this examination is to find out if you have osteoporosis or other bone pathologies. The third follow-up visit is carried out one year after joint replacement. In the future, it is recommended to visit the attending physician at least once every 2 years. Usually the prosthesis lasts 15 years, sometimes 20-25, after which it is recommended to replace it.

Factors that accelerate joint wear and lead to complications:

• hypothermia, colds, leading to an inflammatory process;
• overweight: increases the load on the joint;
• the development of osteoporosis (loss of bone strength), the appearance of which is promoted by a sedentary lifestyle, smoking, alcohol, the use of steroid hormones, improper nutrition;
• carrying heavy weights, sudden movements and jumping on the operated leg.