A hip replacement surgery can be very invasive and people tend to have a longer recovery period. There might be some questions that pop up in your mind that you would want to ask orthopedic surgeons. Here are the answers to them.
Do you need a walker?
This is a common concern a lot of people have when they are going into hip replacement surgery. Whether you need a walker to walk or not, depends on your recovery and willpower.
Age is also an important factor to consider here. If you are healthy and fit and want to recover fast, then you will not need a walker. Older patients who are over the age of 60 will need to walk with a walker, but this is nothing more than a precaution because they are at high risk of falling.
How to take care of the incision?
With hip replacement surgery, there is going to be an incision made where the replacement will be done. After the surgery, half of the battle is taking care of the incision and to make sure that it doesn’t get infected. You will need to make sure that you dress it frequently, don’t let it get too wet, and check for any signs of swelling, water, or puss coming out of the wound, etc.
This is going to save you from major infections in the future. As soon as you see something alarming, it’s good to tell your doctor about it before things get out of hand.
Do you need physical therapy?
Yes, you will need some sort of physical therapy after the surgery since some people can’t go back to doing normal life activities until they are fully healed. Usually, physical therapy sessions will last for a few months before you are able to do things by yourself.
If you want, you can also opt for physical therapy before and after the surgery, just to keep your body from going rigid, because there will be a lot of sitting around and doing nothing after the surgery, so it’s better to keep some sort of movement going in your body through physical therapy.
Is it going to be painful?
After the surgery, it is normal to feel pain and discomfort for some days. Some people have high pain thresholds and some can’t tolerate too much pain, so it really depends on you in the end. If you want, you can most certainly ask for painkillers and relievers if you feel like the pain is too much.
That’s completely normal, and you will see after a couple of days the pain will start to subside and you will feel a lot better than you did right after the surgery.
When can you start doing life activities?
The general healing time for hip replacement surgery is about 2 to 4 months. While some can recover quickly, some people can take some more time and that’s also normal. All you need to do is avoid lifting heavy things and doing stress-induced activities during your healing time.
This is why physical therapy and yoga are great ways to keep your body moving without putting too much stress on it. Even after the healing time, it’s better to take it easy on your body and do what you feel most comfortable for you, without feeling any sort of pain or discomfort.
What diet should be followed?
There are no restrictions on diet as far as hip replacement surgery goes. You can eat a balanced and solid diet from the first day of your recovery time. Eating a balanced diet will help you to heal faster and it will also give you the much-needed energy to power through your day.
Eating a lot of foods with calcium, vitamin D, fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, grains, protein, carbohydrates, amino acids, and fatty acids will help to keep your bones strong and you will feel better from the inside out.
Conclusion
There you have it! These common but important questions are easy to ask, especially after the surgery when you need to be cautious of movements and doing strenuous activities. Furthermore, don’t hesitate to ask any questions you have in your mind about your hip replacement surgery surgeon Woodbridge.