Hip replacement surgery recovery means that you've undergone hip replacement surgery, which should mean that you were identified by your physician as a good candidate for the procedure and that no other treatment options were working for you.

Your recovery probably means that you had a badly arthritic hip, the cartilage and bone of which was removed via surgery.  You were given an artificial replacement, sort of like a prosthetic leg, but, of course, it's your hip.

All of this information was undoubtedly explained to you time and time again, but what you might not know is how this metallic ball and stem that replaced the diseased ball and socket means to your hip replacement surgery recovery.

Probably the biggest complication that can result from the artificial joint itself—not the surgery—is infection.  That's something you'll have to watch out for through the years.  There will be wear and tear with any prosthetic, but your doctor has helped or will help determine whether a polyethylene, metal, or ceramic prosthetic is right for you and your lifestyle because having the proper materials will help decrease your risk of infection.

The surgery itself probably lasted or will last about two to four hours.  Whether it's before or after the process for you, let's imagine that we're in the present right afterward, while you're immediately being taken to a recovery room for a one- to four-hour observation.

Your lower extremities are being watched closely to ensure that they have appropriate circulation and sensation; everyone's on the alert for unusual numb or tingly feelings.  Nurses are standing by just in case.  Soon—let's be optimistic—you're stabilized and are being moved to a hospital room.

Now, the good news is, while you're still being closely observed, given intravenous fluids to maintain your electrolytes and administered antibiotics, having fluids from the site of your surgery drained into tubes, given pain medication through a patient-controlled-analgesia (PCA) pump, you can begin the process of recovery right away.

What hip replacement surgery recovery is going to end up meaning the most is physical therapy and exercise.  This, more than any medication you're given, is what's going to really make you better; make you strong and healthy again.  So what does exercise mean when you're lying there in the hospital bed, compression stockings wrapped around your legs to promote circulation so you don't get clots?

It means doing what you can, as much as you can.  It means rotating your ankles, if that's all you're able to do at first.  It means following your doctor-ordered physical therapy regime, which will likely start the day after your surgery.  It means, once that's over, finding your own exercise program and sticking to it.

Ultimately, successful total hip replacement recovery means a chance at living an active life with minimal or no pain.  Truly, the meaning is up to you.


What you just learned about hip replacement recovery is just the beginning.  To get the full story and all the details, check us out at this great hip replacement surgery recovery website: