JointWorks Hip Replacement Guide

Intro text and table of contents

Preparing for Surgery

Basics of Total Hip Replacement Surgery

Arthritis is a degenerative and progressive disease that causes physical changes in the structures of the joint. This results in a cascade of symptoms, most notably pain, stiffness, weakness and instability. When these symptoms become severe, and conservative measures fail to provide relief, patients and doctors turn to total joint replacement to help minimize symptoms and improve quality of life.

Covenant HealthCare performs approximately 500 hip replacement surgeries every year. Surgery to replace a hip usually lasts 1-2 hours. During hip replacement surgery, the damaged parts of your hip are removed and replaced with titanium, metal, and/ or plastic components. (See page 6 for further details). Replacing the damaged parts of the hip with new artificial components allows the hip to function smoothly again.

Unless otherwise discussed with your surgeon, plan to leave the hospital the day of surgery or the morning after with family and/or friends. Arrange for family and/or friends to be available to take you home, get you settled in at home, and stay with you until you feel comfortable being alone. Your first two weeks after surgery should be spent close to home with quiet activities focusing on your immediate recovery needs. You can expect the recovery process to continue for several weeks to months after surgery (see page 24 for further details ).

PRE-OPERATIVE PAIN MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

Pain management is a process that starts before surgery. Activity modification, as well as elevation and icing, may be helpful in managing pain as you are preparing for your surgery. If appropriate, you may also be prescribed medications such as Tylenol® and Celebrex®. These medications are typically started 3-5 days prior to surgery to help manage post-operative pain. If you are on narcotic or opioid pain medications prior to surgery and are able to decrease or stop taking these, it will help manage your pain after surgery. Post-operative strategies are detailed on pages 13-15 of this booklet.

PRE-OPERATIVE TOTAL JOINT THERAPY SESSION

Your surgeon may schedule you for a pre-operative appointment with physical and/or occupational therapy. The purpose of this session is to prepare you for a safe recovery with a goal of discharge from the hospital the day of surgery or the next. This session will provide training on strengthening exercises (these can be started before surgery), surgery precautions, safe stair ambulation and equipment. Plan to have your coach attend this session with you to help with skill reinforcement.

These sessions are offered at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation at Covenant HealthCare locations. Most locations have a nearby Covenant lab and/or diagnostic testing center to complete any necessary testing prior to your surgery.

Pre-operative exercises – The Total Joint Replacement Activities – Hip sheet (located in the front pocket) provides simple exercises that you should try to do before your surgery. Any exercise before surgery will help you to get stronger. These can be done on any flat surface, such as a bed or couch.

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