As with any operation, hip replacement surgery has risks as well as benefits. Most people who have a hip replacement do not have serious complications. After having a hip replacement, contact your doctor if you get: hot, reddened, hard or painful areas in your leg in the first few weeks after your operation.
One of the most common serious medical complications related to joint replacement surgery is blood clots. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) refers to a blood clot in the leg and is called a deep vein thrombosis. A sudden increase in leg swelling along with calf tenderness may be the first sign of a blood clot in the leg.
Typical symptoms that you may have failed total hip replacement are pain in the hip, groin, or thigh as well as limited mobility. Some people describe feeling that the hip joint might “give out.”
It is important to gradually increase your out-of-home activity during the first few weeks after surgery. If you do too much activity, your hip may become more swollen and painful.
Recovery for the First Three Months
Your focus for the first couple weeks after surgery should be on swelling management and walking. Perform the exercises we give you and walk around your house as much as you feel like you can, otherwise spend time with your leg elevated and iced.
The Don'ts
Don't lean forward while sitting or as you sit down. Don't try to pick up something on the floor while you are sitting. Don't turn your feet excessively inward or outward when you bend down. Don't reach down to pull up blankets when lying in bed.
The best position to sleep in after total hip replacement is on your back with a pillow between your legs. You can also sleep on your non-operative side with two pillows lined between your legs. When you're sleeping on your back, make sure you don't cross your ankles or legs.
Your hip implant may wear out or loosen over time. It might also become damaged if you have an injury or dislocation. You may need a revision surgery to replace the damaged parts of the prosthesis.
Loosening of the joint
This is the most common complication of hip replacement and occurs when the shaft of the prosthesis becomes loose in the socket of the thigh bone or the bone surrounding the implant starts to thin. This can lead to pain and a sensation that the joint is unstable.
I recommend that you walk as much as your feel comfortable (at least 2-3 times a day), trying to walk a little further each time. You may walk inside or outside as you feel comfortable. As stated above, you will need a walker or cane for stability for the first 3-6 weeks.
You can expect to experience some discomfort in the hip region itself, as well as groin pain and thigh pain. This is normal as your body adjusts to changes made to joints in that area. There can also be pain in the thigh and knee that is typically associated with a change in the length of your leg.
Studies show that nearly 90 percent of hip replacement patients feel better and resume normal activity within a few months, and sometimes even weeks, following the operation.
It may take a year or more to fully recover from surgery, but you should be able to perform most daily activities within six weeks.
Remember you can't bend more than 90 degrees in those early days, so ensure everyday items are stored at waist height. It's also worth thinking about hiring a raised toilet seat and a shower chair. Setting up a recovery station is a great way to avoid unnecessarily getting up and down when you're trying to recover.
The risk for dislocation is greatest in the first few months after surgery while the tissues are healing. If the ball does come out of the socket, your doctor can perform a procedure (called a closed reduction) that can usually put it back into place without the need for more surgery.
Titanium toxicity can elicit a number of symptoms, including fatigue, headaches, blurring of vision, respiratory inflammation, lymphedema, and hyperpigmentation of the nails and skin [[12], [13], [14]].
Many people return to normal activities within 10 to 12 weeks after surgery, but full recovery can take six to 12 months. Pain usually goes away during this time, but some people feel some pain beyond the first year. Most hip replacements last 20 years, but a fraction of implants fail sooner.
Thigh or groin pain is the primary symptom of stem loosening in hip replacement, especially during walking. Sometimes, the pain can radiate to the knee. Knee pain, often at the start of activities, can also be a sign of implant loosening.
Day 3: On the third day after hip surgery, there is a surge of potential pain and inflammation around the operated hip region. This pain is because the body is responding to injury (the surgery) by transmitting pain signals to the brain.
An artificial hip is not identical to a healthy natural hip joint. It is much more prone to dislocation, as shown in the accompanying X-ray (Fig 8a). This happens because the artificial hip is lacking in certain structures that normally hold the head of the femur securely in the acetabulum.
Joint replacement surgery relieves the pain and stiffness of arthritis for most people. Some people may still have some symptoms of arthritis.
Seniors should avoid hip flexion past 90 degrees — bending your hip too far or lifting your knee too high. This movement occurs when you lift your leg or your knee up towards your body. For example, when you put on socks or shoes. Generally, keep the knee below hip level.
You should not bend your hip beyond 60 to 90 degrees for the first six to 12 weeks after surgery. Do not cross your legs or ankles, either.
General Sleeping Precautions
This will keep you from dangling and twisting your foot and putting pressure on your hip. Never turn your toes inward no matter which way you choose to sleep. Never cross your ankles when sleeping on you back. Avoid lying on your affected side for at least six weeks.