What do patients do 2 weeks after a hip replacement

If you are receiving the traditional posterior approach or antero -lateral Hardinge approach, then the tissues and tendons will take more time to heal as they have been cut during the surgery. This means that rehabilitation can take up to 6-8 weeks. The patient will need to do their physiotherapy exercises and will need to keep their hip in safe positions for it to heal. It is very likely that the patient will be on crutches to help keep their hip in position. There will be simple movements that the patient cannot do such as bend past 90 degrees, pick up something off the floor, tie shoelaces, sit on low chairs and toilets, and drive. It is a painful rehabilitation process as there will be persisting swelling on the lower legs and the hip, but the patient will usually be prescribed pain medication to help with this.

If the patient is received an anterior hip replacement which is a minimally invasive approach, then most patients are able to be up and running by 2 weeks. The patient should be able to weight on their hip so by the 2 week mark the patient normally is able to rid of their crutches, and is able to mobilise their hip more. Of course it would depend on the complexity of the patient’s operation and so the weeks may differ. Physiotherapy would also be required to regain physical strength and mobility, and the patient need occupational therapy for being able to perform chores such as getting dressed and showering. A patient may also be able to drive within 1-3 weeks of the operation according to a study involving a patient who had a bikini anterior hip replacement –  https://www.sicot-j.org/articles/sicotj/pdf/2018/01/sicotj180085.pdf.

Disclaimer – Individual results can vary – patients are asked to discuss their specific restrictions with their surgeon after surgery.