Post-Surgery
Recovery from any operation varies from patient to patient and post-operative rehabilitation programs vary from hospital to hospital and surgeon to surgeon.
After surgery, you will need to rest your hip to allow proper healing. Your activity will be restricted during this healing period. During the first few weeks after surgery, you may be advised to put a pillow between your legs when turning over in bed, wear elastic stockings, use a raised toilet seat, take showers instead of baths, restrict activities such as sudden twisting or turning, crossing legs, and driving. Also, avoid exposing the scar to sunlight for the first 6 months; if the scar is exposed to the sun, sunscreen (SPF 30-45) is recommended.
Follow your surgeon's instructions carefully. Your surgeon will give you detailed post-operative instructions before you leave the hospital.
Even after the healing period, excessive loads placed on the implant through sudden trauma or high impact activities, such as running and jumping, can damage the joint.
- Most hip replacement patients stay in the hospital three to five days.
- The length of your hospital stay will depend on your medical condition and your progress in rehabilitation.
- Your surgeon will decide how much weight you will be able to put on the affected leg and will tell you how active you can be.
- Until your surgeon says to walk on the hip, you must have someone or something (walker) to help aid walking to and from the toilet or other activities; too much motion of the hip may be harmful to the healing process.
- If you are involved in heavy walking, running, lifting, or muscle strain activities, these heavy forces on your body may cause failure of the fixation, the device or both
- You should not expect the new hip device to restore function to the level of normal healthy bone.
- You will have to visit your surgeon at various times after surgery to check hip pain and function.
- You will have to go for X-rays on a regular basis to detect problems; the X-rays will also check the position of the hip implant and to check the surrounding bones.
It is important to follow your surgeon's instructions carefully so healing from surgery can occur as quickly as possible. Follow-up office visits may include physical therapy, radiologic exams, blood work, and urine analysis.
For additional information on the CONSERVE® PLUS Total Resurfacing Hip System, please review the patient information brochure.
