Recommendations prior to hip replacement surgery

• The hip replacement operation, although it is an intervention that improves the quality of life, is a major surgery and there are a series of prior recommendations that must be followed.
• One of the most important points is that during the first few weeks, the patient should have someone at home with them to help them with basic tasks.
• In this article you will find all kinds of recommendations to follow before hip replacement surgery.

If you are reading this, you are probably waiting for hip replacement surgery or are considering it. Don't worry, even if it is a major surgery, it is worth having the operation to eliminate the pain and deformity that has occurred in the hip, although you should decide this together with your doctor. Here are some recommendations:

• Hospital stay: Patients who undergo hip replacement surgery usually stay in hospital for 4-5 days.
• Duration of surgery: The operation lasts between 1 and 2 hours, depending on each case.
• Anaesthesia: As it is a major surgery, general anaesthesia is used. During the surgery, the anaesthetist will monitor the patient's vital signs until the end, to avoid any complications.
• Type of prosthesis: At Operarme.es the prosthesis is of the highest quality and from leading companies worldwide.
• Recovery after surgery: Total recovery varies between 4 and 6 months, although the patient may be able to lead a normal life sooner.

• Signing the informative consent form: The doctor will explain the procedure and all the possible complications that may arise from the surgery, which, although unusual, are necessary to know about. You should ask the doctor everything you want to know.
• Pre-operative: The hip replacement operation requires a pre-operative examination consisting of a complete blood test to check the patient's health; an electrocardiogram to check the state of health of the heart of the person to be operated on; and finally a chest x-ray to check that the trachea is correctly aligned and to make sure that there are no signs of infection.
• Inform the doctor of the following:
  • Allergies: If the patient has had problems with previous anaesthesia, allergy to latex or to any element used during surgery, this should be indicated. It is usually the doctor himself/herself who asks.
  • Medications: It is important to mention to the doctor or anaesthesiologist any prescription or over-the-counter medication that the patient is taking, as they may influence the correct course of the operation and need to be controlled.
  • Anticoagulant medication: This is related to the previous section, but is even more important. If the patient has a previous history of bleeding disorders, or is taking anticoagulant drugs, which thin the blood, such as Sintron, the doctor should be informed, as this may affect coagulation.
  • Pregnancy: It is unusual for a woman of childbearing age to require a hip replacement, but if this is the case and you know or think you may be pregnant, you should inform your doctor immediately.

• Where to sleep: If your house has several floors, it would be important to prepare the sleeping area on the ground floor, to avoid climbing stairs during the first few days.
• Everyday objects: The things you normally use, leave them at a medium height, to avoid having to stretch or bend down, which in the first few weeks could cause imbalance and a fall.
• The bathroom: The use of a shower chair or a grab bar to prevent falls can be very interesting. Likewise, a non-slip shower mat and perhaps a toilet lift, to avoid overstraining the hips in the first few weeks.
• Remove cables and rugs: Anything that can cause a trip or a fall should be put away or removed.
• Armchair cushion: During the first few weeks, the patient should sit slightly elevated in order to avoid excessive bending at the hips. The patient's hips should be above the knees. The doctor will advise you to use a sitting cushion or something similar.
• Crutch or walker: Although it is vital to start moving immediately after surgery, even if it is little by little (it is something that speeds up recovery), we must bear in mind that we are still adapting to the new joint and it will be necessary to use a crutch or walker to move around for the first few weeks.
• Comfortable clothes: It is necessary to move little by little, but to avoid strain, it is better to wear comfortable clothes such as trainers and tracksuits, as clothes such as jeans or shoes may involve overexertion in the joint to put them on.

• Stop smoking: It is advisable to stop smoking in general, although before surgery it is even more important as smoking causes circulation problems and consequently delays healing and lengthens recovery.
• Do not drink alcohol: It is important to avoid alcohol consumption the days before surgery, at least 48 hours before.
• Empty stomach: It is important not to eat or drink anything for 8 hours before the hip replacement operation.
• Help at home: The first two weeks after surgery, it is very likely that the patient will need someone to help him/her at home, therefore, it is necessary to let a family member or a professional talk about help at home.
• Rehabilitation: Rehabilitation for hip replacement surgery is easier than for other similar surgeries, such as knee replacements, but some rehabilitation may still be necessary. Usually, the instructions of the doctor in the hospital and the nursing team are sufficient, but it would not be a bad idea to talk to a physiotherapist.

• Taxi service request: Operarme provides you with a taxi to take you from your home to the hospital on the day of admission. This must be indicated 48 hours before admission, so please contact your patient care advisor or contact us via the website.
• Speak to your patient service advisor: Each of our patients is assigned a patient service advisor who will guide you through the whole process, solve any questions or problems and help you in any way they can.
• Talk to our specialist: The consultation is free, immediate and without obligation. During the consultation, do not hesitate to ask the specialist any questions you may have. They are used to these surgeries and will explain everything well.
• Read the reviews of our patients: Hip prosthesis surgery is one of the most performed surgeries at Operarme, with some of our patients having left us a testimonial about the process. You can see some of them by clicking here.

If you have a hip condition and have already been prescribed arthroplasty as a solution, you can request a free surgical consultation with one of our specialists in Traumatology and Orthopaedic surgery. Click below to make an appointment: