Guide to Hip Replacement Surgery and After Care
Specialty Surgical Center offers hip replacement surgery as an outpatient procedure. Our board certified orthopedic surgeons recommend hip replacement surgery to patients who are in significant pain and cannot do daily tasks like they were previously able to due to their damaged hip joint. This pain is often caused by rheumatoid arthritis, but can also be a result of osteonecrosis or injury. Surgery is often recommended when pain medication and physical therapy has not sufficiently treated a patient’s pain.
The Procedure
The goal of hip replacement surgery is to remove the damaged hip joint and replace it with an artificial joint called prosthesis. The first step of hip replacement surgery actually occurs before the day of the surgery. The surgeon will walk you through the procedure and answer all of your questions. It may be useful to bring something to write on so you can bring the pre-operative instructions home with you. Tell the surgeon about all of your medications and vitamins you take. Depending on what the medicine is for, you may be asked to stop taking it a few days before surgery. You may be asked to stop eating food and avoid all drinks except water night before the procedure.
On the day of your surgery, you may be asked to change into a surgical gown. The hip is cleaned to avoid injection and you are given an anesthetic. The surgeon might only need to make one or two incisions since hip replacement surgery at Specialty Surgical Center is minimally invasive. Two incisions could be needed if the surgeon uses an anterior approach and performs the procedure from the back. Then, the surgeon will take off any muscles or tendons attached to the hip to prepare to remove the damaged hip. Once the prosthesis is put in, the surgeon will patch up any surrounding tissues that were damaged and stitch up the incision(s).
After Care
After surgery, patients will be moved to Specialty Surgical Center’s recovery room where they rest and get ready to go home later that day. You should avoid getting your hip area wet for about a week and consider getting a walking aid to help you move around the first few days after surgery. We may have aids to loan you, so be sure to ask before you go! Our physicians recommend sleeping on your back with a pillow slightly elevating your legs. While sleeping on your side is ok, we advise against sleeping on your stomach so you don’t use your hip to move your legs in your sleep. The surgeon might recommend physical therapy during the recovery process. Physical therapy can help you gain flexibility in your hips and help manage post-operative pain.
If you have any questions about the length of time you will need to get back into your normal routine, or any questions about the procedure, please call our Sparta, New Jersey location. We want to make our patients as comfortable as possible and want you to be fully informed about your procedure.
Specialty Surgical Center is located in Sparta, New Jersey and our staff consists of board certified surgeons and anesthesiologists performing procedures in Orthopedics, Sports Medicine, Spinal Care, Podiatry, Urology, Pain Management, ENT, Hand Surgery, Lithotripsy, Brachytherapy, GYN and Laser Surgery.
For more information about Specialty Surgical Center, call 973-940-3166 or visit our Contact Page.