Hip Replacement Guidebook
What to Expect the Day of Surgery
Hip Replacement Guidebook Home | Getting Ready for Surgery | What to Expect the Day of Surgery | Physical & Occupational Therapy | At Home After Surgery
- What to Expect the Day of Surgery
- What to Expect After Surgery
- More About an Important Medicine You Must Take: Anti-Coagulant
- Frequently Asked Questions After Surgery
- At your assigned time, go to the Same Day Program on the 4th floor just above the Emergency Department. It is best to park at the parking garage. You will enter on Level 4. Same Day Surgery is directly at the end of the hall.
- Once there, you will be asked to remove:
- All jewelry except for your wedding band which can be taped to your finger; it is best to leave all jewelry at home
- Dentures or partial plates
- Contact lenses and eyeglasses
- Hair pieces
- Cosmetics and nail polish (it is best to remove these the night before)
- You will be asked to put on a hospital gown.
- A nurse will check your:
- Heart rate
- Blood pressure
- Temperature
- Breathing
- A nurse will place an IV in your arm which is usually removed 24 hours after surgery.
- You may go over a permission form, or consent, with your surgeon if you did not do it already.
- Your surgeon will mark the joint you are having replaced with a green marker.
- A support stocking (a very thick knee-high) will be placed on the leg that is not being operated on to prevent blood clots.
- An anesthesiologist will meet with you to discuss your options:
- General anesthesia: puts you to sleep completely
- Spinal anesthesia: medication injected into your back to make you numb from the waist down with the option of being completely awake or napping
- After you decide on your type of anesthesia, a nurse may give you medication to help you relax and feel more comfortable.
Venodynes: help pump blood back up from your legs to prevent blood clots
- You will then be taken to the operating room on a stretcher.
- After you have been given anesthesia, a nurse will place a tube (known as a catheter) in your bladder for two reasons:
- You will not be able to feel the need to empty your bladder
- To keep track of the fluid that is coming out of your body
The catheters are usually removed by day two after surgery.
The recovery room
After your surgery is done, you will be taken to the recovery room or Post-Anesthesia Care Unit, also known as the PACU. You will have a large triangular-shaped piece of foam or a pillow between your legs to keep you from crossing them. You may have a small tube, known as a drain, right next to your incision to remove extra blood or fluid. These are usually removed the morning after surgery.
Foam wedge: put between your legs when you come out of surgery to keep you from crossing them
As you are recovering from your anesthesia, your surgeon will talk with your family and friends to let them know that your surgery is over and how things went.
X-rays will be taken of your hip(s) in the PACU to make sure that your new joint is in the right position.
What is squeezing my legs?
After you wake up from surgery, you will have some plastic sleeves on both of your legs. Every few minutes they will inflate with air, and you will feel a squeeze that starts at the ankle and works its way up. These sleeves (also known as Venodynes) help pump blood back up from your legs to prevent blood clots. The amount of time these stay on is determined by your level of activity. Think of them as your own personal leg massagers!
Am I going to have pain?
You will be asked what your pain level is on a scale of 0 to 10 (0 being no pain and 10 being the worst you can imagine). It is important that you know that we cannot take away all of your pain and that we would like to keep you at a 2 or 3 on the pain level scale. Controlling your pain is a very important part of your recovery. Too much pain will keep you from being able to do your exercises and physical therapy, which are crucial to getting you back on your feet sooner.
Be sure to let your nurse know if:
Your pain medications seem to wear off too quickly or if you start to feel nauseous. The earlier the team intervenes, the better you will feel. Please feel free to talk with your nurse about any other concerns you have as well.
More About an Important Medicine You Must Take: Anti-CoagulantWhat is an anti-coagulant?
Anti-coagulants are often referred to as blood thinners, but that is not how they work. They do not cause the blood to be thinner (or more liquid). Rather, they prevent your blood from forming blood clots. Your surgeon may place you on one of the following anticoagulants and he/she will tell you how long you should use it:
- Coumadin (also known as warfarin)
- Lovenox, or
- Arixtra
Surgical stockings, also known as ted hose
Coumadin packet that contains your log sheet
Why is it so important to prevent blood clots?
After surgery, or, particularly, when you are less active, you are at an increased risk of forming blood clots. Clots most often occur in the lower leg. Sometimes blood clots may also travel through the bloodstream from the legs to the lungs. This is dangerous, even life-threatening. Therefore, prevention is very important.
What is the difference between the anti-coagulants?
- Coumadin is a pill taken orally. The majority of patients take Coumadin. If your surgeon chooses it for you, you will be given a prescription which you can have filled at the DHMC Pharmacy on Level 3 or at your local pharmacy.
Before you are discharged from the hospital, you will be given a packet of instructions which will include specific information about taking Coumadin. Also within this guidebook is your Coumadin log sheet. Please have this along with a pencil by your phone so when your surgeon's nurse (or your primary care provider) calls with your dosing (twice weekly after the visiting nurse draws your blood), you will be able to keep an accurate record to refer to.
After you finish the medication (approximately one month from your surgery), you will switch to aspirin. You will take one adult-strength aspirin (325mg) in the morning and another at night until you see your surgeon for your first follow-up appointment, unless otherwise directed. - Lovenox and Arixtra are given by injection. There are many reasons why your surgeon may prefer one of these two anti-coagulants for you. Feel free to ask your surgeon about this. We know that most patients are not familiar with giving themselves injections, so you will be taught the proper technique in the hospital. Your nurse will make sure that you are able to give yourself the medication before you are discharged.
- Occasionally, your surgeon might have you on two of these medications for a period of time; they will explain why and how long you need to be on them.
- You will also be given a pair of surgical stockings designed to compress your muscles and blood vessels. These will also help reduce the risk of blood clots. You may remove them for one hour two times in 24 hours. Otherwise, we strongly encourage you to wear these stockings 24/7 until your first post-operative visit in four to six weeks.
Q. When can I eat?
A. Most patients do not feel hungry right away. Usually by the evening after surgery, they are ready to try solid food. Nausea may occur, but it is usually temporary. It is important to let your nurse know if you feel nauseated because there is medication that can minimize this.
Q. What happens on the days following surgery?
A. Your bladder catheter will usually be removed within a few days after surgery. You may feel a slight burning sensation for one to two seconds when it is removed. Also, your doctor will change your bandages on the second or third day after surgery. Lastly, your incision may have staples or stitches. Your doctor will let you know when and where to have them removed. Usually, they are taken out within 10-14 days by your visiting nurse.
Q. When do I start physical therapy?
A. You may see a physical therapist the evening after surgery, but this depends on when you get to your room after surgery. You will start by sitting on the edge of the bed. Usually by the next day, you will be up and walking. Your physical therapist will decide what you will do with your time together. Remember that pain control is imperative. Your nurse will give you pain medicine about 30 minutes before your physical therapy sessions start so that you can do as many exercises as possible. Pain should not hold you back.
Very important: You should not attempt to get out of bed until your physical therapist or surgeon gives you the OK.
Q. When can I leave?
A. Patients are usually ready to go home two to four days after surgery. Patients who go to a rehabilitation or skilled nursing facility stay anywhere from 5-16 days on average. However, they will not keep you any longer than necessary.
You will get to go home when:
- Your physical therapist feels that you are safely moving around and you are able to get in and out of bed
- You can get to the bathroom or a bedside toilet by yourself
- You can keep solid food down
- Your incision has no signs of infection
- Your vital signs are normal
- You can control your pain with oral medications
- Your lab work is acceptable to your physicians
You will be discharged to your chosen rehabilitation or a skilled nursing facility when:
- You have met with your Clinical Resource Coordinator (also referred to as a Discharge Planner); he or she will take care of the referrals and any other paperwork that the facility might need
- You no longer need care in the hospital following surgery but your care team feels you are not ready to go home
- Remember that the facility you are sent to will depend on bed availability; see Selecting a Rehabilitation or Skilled Nursing Facility for more details
Q. What is a discharge summary?
A. Upon discharge from the hospital, you will receive a copy of your individual discharge summary. Please read this document in its entirety as it contains important home instructions from your surgeon. If you have questions, you can always call your surgeon's nurse (see the Joint Replacement Team Phone Directory for a list of phone numbers).
