Is it normal to feel unwell the day after hip replacement?

[Longleaf]

I've just visited my Dad after hip replacement surgery, which he had yesterday.

He's 82 and was in very good health until about 3 years ago when he was diagnosed with cancer. He's now cancer free but the treatment really took it's toll and he's been frail for a while, then a stress fracture leading to the hip replacement.

Last night he was very cheerful, felt well and was in no pain. Today he looks dreadful, really unwell, says he feels very tired but also ill. Also in quite a bit of pain. The physio had him up and walking this morning. His observations are OK, except BP a bit low, but not unusually low for him.

Is he 'just' tired from the op and the physio and the energy going into healing, is this to be expected? He's always been a bit of a hypocondriac, convinced whatever he has is worse than anyone else gets it, but he does look ill.

I felt absolutely awful after my hip replacement - really unusual for me. I stayed in for five days but eventually realised I couldn’t tolerate the morphine based pain killers. Once the meds were changed I felt so much better.

I had a hip replacement in my late 30s. I felt great just after as the epidural numbs all your pain. The morning after I felt like I'd been hit by a bus. I was still sent home. The meds made me feel sick so I didn't want to eat and I was still in a lot of pain. I started to feel a bit better after about a week and for that first week, I really regretted having it done!

In any event keep an eye on the wound site and his temperature for any signs of infection but it is a gruelling operation.

So, he says he had a terrible night and is still feeling awful, he has sent the physio away this morning because he couldn't do "anything".

He was only talking parecetmol yesterday but has had morphine this morning.

BP is very low, even for him who always has low BP, and they are "nagging" him about not drinking enough.

Oh dear its very hard isn't it. They need to get his pain under control - theres no way paracetamol was enough. And they need to monitor him carefully, he may need some IV fluids just till hes feeling a but more like eating and drinking. I hope he has a better night tonight.

anaesthetist pov... there is a big difference between having an elective hip replacement and having one done after a hip fracture (which is what you've described). Surgery for a hip fracture is physiologically more challenging even if the metalwork going in is essentially the same. Spinal anaesthetic with sedation (it most likely won't have been an epidural) is a really good combo for most people for giving a good post-op recovery, but there's any number of things that might contribute to feeling naff post op (including things like whatever precipitated the fall, any other injuries, blood loss (there's usually more from a hip fracture than an elective), how long it was from injury to surgery, could he have developed an infection pre-op, etc etc etc. If his BP is low it sounds like he needs to be reviewed by a doctor if he hasn't been already to decide what's causing it and see if it needs some actual medicine rather than just drinking more.

Thanks. There was no fall. He's been in pain and immobile for about 4 months, and was previously told it was a muscular problem but a recent review spotted a stress fracture (he has osteoporosis) which was there all along.

Mum spoke to the ward today because he's so convinced he's much more ill than he should be, and they told her he's doing really well and everything is as expected.

I’m only 42 and had a laparoscopy so minimally invasive (although it was over 8hrs long)
felt absolutely shocking for the first week, basically slept, ate a bit and watched shit TV as I couldn’t focus on anything. My BP also had a crash the day after the op

Mum had one in June she is mid 80's. The day after she looked so frail and tiny in the huge hospital bed. She is doing amazingly well now, she looks like she has grown, because she is so upright. The first couple of weeks are the worst Op.

After I had surgery for a fractured TiB/fib the physios would ask the nurses to give me morphine 30 minutes before physio so I wouldn’t be in pain. Except the pain was pretty manageable and the morphine made me projectile vomit and feel absolutely awful!! So maybe check what pain relief your dad is on . Also I was completely exhausted for a couple of weeks post op and I was about 30 yrs younger than your dad and in good health so dont underestimate the effect of surgery. Agree with all the others though - check if he has had any fevers and that he is being checked for any sign of infection. And don’t be pushed into him being discharged before he is ready

@Longleaf How is your Dad now?
Only just seen this post!