Hip replacement - Any tips or advice?

[ICantBeDoingWithThat]

My DH will be having this op soon, after years of pain and discomfort.
Have you any experience or tips?
We have read up on all the leaflets from the consultant and already have a few ideas for managing afterwards. Don't have any friend or relations who have had it though.

It’s amazing, take all the painkillers and get up and moving as quickly as possible, I went home from hospital the same day as my operation. The thought of getting out of bed is much worse than the reality of it. I hope it all goes really well

I have had both hips done six years apart. It is a life changing operation and your DH won’t regret it.

Tips:

Buy a wedge for the bed to rest his legs on, get a double one for both ledgs and get one with a lip on the sides so his legs don’t fall off it while he sleeps. He must sleep on his back for at least six weeks.

Get a grabber to pick things up.

Get a sock aid for pulling on socks.

Ask for thread stitches not staples on the wound, I had both and staples are awful being taken out, thread is much better and less painful.

Stick to the 90° rule for six weeks to avoid risk of dislocation.

Slip on shoes, Crocs are amazing for this if not stylish.

Sit on two plastic bags in the car as the top bag twists with you as you get in and out making it much easier. Also recline the seat a bit to get in and out as it gives a bit more room.

Eat more as your body thinks you are injured and needs to repair itself before you are eaten by a sabre toothed tiger - the food is fuel to repair the bone.

Do the physio religiously. Get the nurses to show you how to put surgical stockings on and off—there’s a trick using a plastic bag over the foot. Eat fruit to help with the constipating effects of pain relief. Sorry to be so basic!

My bed wedge was from Amazon, type into the Amazon search Leg Elevation Wedge Pillow. Get a wedge for both legs with a lip on either side so legs don’t fall off the side when sleeping.

Agree you must do all the physio.

Oh thank you so much, this is really helpful. 😊

How did you manage with stairs afterwards?
We don't have the option for a bed downstairs, I anticipate he will just need to do this x2 daily.

Buy some extra wound dressing pads Ron the chemist, get the same size as he comes out of hospital with. Once I could shower I put a fresh dressing pad on myself as the one I had on got wet and I didn’t want a wet dressing on my wound. Also the wound will bleed a bit at first so fresh dressings are much nicer.

The district nurse came round my house twice a week for three weeks to wound clean and dress it but I changed my dressing between these visits. I don’t know if you will get these visits, I did in my area but my last hip replacement was in 2021 so it might have changed now due to budget cuts.

I was fine on the stairs from the day of each of my operations. Remember good leg to heaven, bad leg to hell. Basically his bad leg - the one operated on - MUST stay straight going up and down stairs. So going up is good leg then bad leg and going down is bad leg then good leg. This way the bad leg stays straight all the time. I had three crutches, two down stairs then I used one to get up the stairs so bannister on one side and crutch on the other, my third crutch was at the top of the stairs so I had two crutches up with me while my third crutch was downstairs then leave a crutch upstairs and come down using bannister and one crutch and had my other crutch downstairs waiting for me.

Also elephant legs for an armchair or sofa to raise it and a frame around the loo to holdd onto. Be prepared you might have to help with bum wiping for a couple of days but just buy some plastic gloves. It is what it is but that is ok and tell him not to Mabel embarrassed.

i got washed and dressed before coming down and then went up again in the evening but honestly stairs are ok, much more ok than you think they are going to be.

@Getupat8amnow hi, how did you do with stairs afterwards?

Sorry, went away to prep dinner and didn't refresh! 🙄

@Getupat8amnow Thanks very much for all this info, I feel reassured. The stairs had me a little worried, but will make sure he knows the heaven and hell mantra!

Stairs going up - one crutch and bannister - lift good leg to next step, weight will be on straight bad leg, transfer weight to good leg and use crutch and bannister to pull you up so foot of bad leg is on same step as foot of good leg. Repeat until at the top of the stairs.

Stairs going down - one crutch and bannister - place bad leg on lower step, weight will be on this foot. Bring good leg to same step so both bad and good legs/feet on same step. Repeat until at the bottom of the stairs.

Do stairs like a toddler, both feet to each step, slow and steady, bad leg straight at all times.

My MIL who was 82 at the time and had a hip replacement, we stuck yellow post it notes top and bottom of stairs to tell her which leg to use first. For the first few days, she had someone behind her going up and in front coming down, it gave her a bit more confidence, she had delivered a walking frame and a support aid round the toilet along with walking sticks, so tell your DH to take what’s offered, as it all helps. Stock up now on co-codamol, paracetamol and ibuprofen

Had a hip replacement myself- was life changing! I agree with needing something between my knees to sleep comfortably now, either a pillow or the duvet.

I was mobile on two crutches fairly quickly and stairs were honestly ok if I took them slowly, the hardest thing for me was not being able to carry food or drink anywhere. Make sure if you leave him he has things nearby, or at a push some kind of bag to transport things without using his hands.

I was in very little pain after my operation, I stopped all painkillers within the first 24 hours.

I missed the toilet and weed on the floor in the first day or so... commode shifted. That was pretty embarrassing.

A ‘V’ pillow was really useful for me as you can’t turn in your sleep. The painkillers worked fantastic and I was active quite quickly. I was got out of bed a couple of hours after the op and felt great! Try not to scoff too much of the chocolate you’re given as you’ll put weight on. I promised myself a dog when I got better…to get me out walking…and along came one of the best dogs I’ve ever owned. 😁. I rode a horse and climbed a Welsh mountain just to prove my leg wouldn’t drop off. 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻. It didn’t. 🤣