Food
Start slowly. It's natural to want to eat a lot after surgery, but start with small amounts of your normal food, and eat more as your nausea improves.
Incision
In general, keep your dressing on until post-op day 2 or longer. If it drains more than a few days, please call the office. When you change the dressing, swap it for a clean one. Do not soak your hip until the incision has fully healed (usually about 3 weeks).
Weight Bearing
You should be toe-touch weight bearing. That means you may rest your foot on the floor, but do not put weight on it.
Activity
Stay as active as your pain and swelling allow while remaining toe-touch weight bearing — this helps prevent blood clots. Avoid hip “abduction” (moving the leg out to the side); your therapist will teach you more about this.
Driving
Do not drive while taking narcotics, or until your leg strength and reaction time make you a safe driver. If it is your right leg, this usually takes 6 weeks or more.
Blood Clots
My biggest concern after surgery is the formation of blood clots. To prevent them, stay active and take one tablet (81 mg) of aspirin twice daily with food for 2 weeks. If you or your family have a history of blood clots — or any other reason for increased clotting risk — you may need more aggressive treatment; please discuss this with Dr. Allred within 24 hours after surgery. What does a blood clot feel like? Blood clots usually (though not always) appear a few weeks after surgery. They typically cause new calf pain and new ankle swelling, and rarely cause shortness of breath. If you think you may have a blood clot, call the office immediately during office hours, or go to the ER after hours.
Bruising
Significant bruising around the hip and down the leg is normal after this surgery.
Physical Therapy
Schedule a physical therapy appointment within 2 weeks. If you don't have a referral, please call the office.
Medications
As noted above, I recommend aspirin for two weeks. For pain, alternate over-the-counter ibuprofen and Tylenol — for example, take regular Tylenol, then ibuprofen 2 hours later. Do not take more than the daily dose shown on the label for either one. While taking ibuprofen, I also recommend over-the-counter Pepcid or another antacid to help prevent a stomach ulcer. For prescription pain medicine (narcotics), see below. If you are also taking daily aspirin to prevent blood clots, take your ibuprofen at least 30 minutes after the aspirin — or at least 8 hours before it.
Narcotics
You may need narcotics for several days, but the sooner you stop using them, the better you will feel. Refills are rarely needed. We do not refill these medications after hours or on weekends, and a refill takes about 72 hours, so please plan ahead. If you take narcotic medications regularly, you will need to make arrangements with your regular prescribing provider.
Post Operative Visits
Call to schedule an appointment 2 weeks after surgery.
Precautionary Measures
- To prevent infection, you were given IV antibiotics before your surgery.
- To prevent blood clots, stay active. Walk around your living room (on crutches or a walker) once every hour while you are awake, and take aspirin 81 mg twice daily for 2 weeks. (If you are on another blood thinner, do not take the aspirin.)
- If you are taking narcotic pain medication (such as Percocet or Vicodin), you may need a laxative to prevent constipation. We recommend an over-the-counter stimulant laxative such as Senna. Narcotics slow the bowel down, and Senna works by stimulating it. Fiber-only products (like Metamucil) usually aren't enough on their own, since they add bulk but don't stimulate the bowel.
When to Call / Emergencies
Call the office or go to the ER if you experience any of the following:
- Incision opens
- Increased redness at incision site
- Pain uncontrolled by pain medicine
- Uncontrollable bleeding
- Fever > 101.5°F or shaking chills
- Difficulty breathing or chest pain
- New calf pain or ankle swelling
- Painful swelling
If this is a life-threatening emergency, call 911.
Don't know which number to call? Every clinic's emergency and daytime number is on one page — worth saving to your phone before surgery.