THR - Total Hip Replacement

 

Long term recovery

 

 

 

Best practice minimum requirements for subsequent follow-up are at one, five and then each subsequent five years after operation. Clinical examination and X-rays should be carried out to assess for possible implant failure.

 

Consider joining in a water therapy group for some different exercise. Avoid breast stroke as the leg movements can lead to dislocation.

 

 

Patients normally undergo an outpatient follow-up about six weeks after the operation. At this you should be told when you can relax the restrictions that were placed upon you after the operation and if you are allowed to drive a car. Early driving may be uncomfortable as the supportive seats may rub your scar area

My own consultant said that the restriction is not the amount of pressure that you can exert with the operated leg, but the reaction time to move the foot onto the pedals, so when I could walk without a stick, then he would allow me to drive. If you ignore your consultant's advice, your insurance could be invalid.

 

When you have finished with the TED stockings, keep them as they will be handy for long or medium length flights you may undertake in the future.

 

Relationships

Many people find that during recovery their relationship with their partner is put under great strain when they forget things, or one of you replies with impatience to the other. The consensus of opinion is that it is best to plan some short breaks to "re-bond" and have time to yourselves and get into a 'better place' with each other, away from the daily routine.

 

Intimate activity

The very best advice I have found for restarting lovemaking is at the Artanim Foundation. This advice is based on scientific analysis of motion capture. The full article can be found here.

Positions for men and women recommended after THA.

In all images, the man is represented in blue and the woman in pink.

A cross next to each symbol means that the position should be avoided;

a tick means that the position is allowed.

Source: Artanim, Switzerland.

 

 

Memory

I found that my memory and concentration were affected by the whole experience of being away from work for five months. I had trouble even recognizing work that I was 'expert' in before the operation. Probably the best things to re-sharpen the memory are 'brain games' such as crosswords and Sudoku that are commonly found in free or daily newspapers. Many other 'brain training' exercises can be found online for download to phone or tablet.

 

Dentistry

It is advisable to inform your dentist that you have had a Total Hip Replacement before having any dental work done as he may need to administer antibiotics before treatment. [linnet2015]

 

 

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The content on this Website is provided for general information only.

It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely. In particular, any information is not a substitute for professional medical care by a qualified doctor or other healthcare professional.

If you are not a healthcare professional then you should ALWAYS check with your doctor if you have any concerns about your condition or treatment and before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on this Website.

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Contact: Webmaster (at) thr. org. uk

Page last updated: 11 October 2016