Smiling nurse helping senior lady to walk around the nursing home

A hip replacement is a major procedure with considerable recovery time. Everyone’s experience may be slightly different, as the recovery timeline can depend a lot on your age, health, diet and how active you were before the surgery. 

However, the guideline below can give you a general idea for what you can expect after hip replacement surgery

The Day of Surgery

A hip replacement surgery typically lasts 2-3 hours and once you wake up, you’ll spend a couple hours recovering from the anesthesia. You will likely stick to a liquid diet the rest of the day and IV medication will be used to alleviate pain, prevent infection and blood clots. 

1-2 Days After Hip Replacement Surgery

After a couple of days in bed, you can begin to get up with assistance and do some light walking with a walker or crutches. You may also meet with an occupational therapist to learn how to move about safely and discuss your limitations. 

During this time you may also transition back to eating solid foods and taking oral medications. 

3-10 Days After Hip Replacement Surgery 

After a few days, you may be sent home or to a rehab center depending on your situation. If you’re sent home, you will be given detailed instructions about how to care for your incision and some recommended physical therapy exercises. 

You’ll likely be encouraged to move about regularly to maintain blood flow and prevent clotting, and may receive home visits from nurses and a physical therapist. You will also begin to wean off your medication during this time.  

Around two weeks following your hip replacement surgery, the staples will be removed from your incision and you can resume normal bathing. 

Several Weeks After Hip Replacement Surgery

Three to six weeks after the procedure is when you can expect to begin walking without a walker or crutches and resume back to some light activities. You may even be able to start driving again. 

At around 10-12 weeks after hip replacement surgery is when you can begin to get back to all of your normal activities again. 

Schedule Your Appointment

The health of our patients is our primary focus at Carolinas Center for Surgery. Schedule a consultation with our team today to learn more about hip replacement surgery and how our highly-trained orthopedic surgeons are ready to get you on the path to recovery and relief.