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How can you care for yourself at home?
Activity
- Rest when you feel tired. You may take a nap, but don't stay in bed all day.
- Work with your physical therapist to learn the best way to exercise. You may be able to take frequent, short walks using crutches or a walker. You will probably have to use crutches or a walker for at least 4 to 6 weeks. After that, you may need to use a cane to help you walk.
- Do not sit for longer than 30 to 45 minutes at a time. When you sit, use chairs with arms, and don't sit in low chairs.
- Sleep on your back with your legs slightly apart or on your side with a pillow between your knees for about 6 weeks or as your doctor tells you. Don't sleep on your stomach or affected hip.
- Ask your doctor when it is okay to bathe or shower.
- Ask your doctor when you can drive again.
- Most people are able to return to work 4 weeks to 4 months after surgery.
- Ask your doctor when it is okay for you to have sex.
- Do not lift anything that would make you strain. This may include heavy grocery bags and milk containers, a heavy briefcase or backpack, cat litter or dog food bags, a vacuum cleaner, or a child.
Diet
- By the time you leave the hospital, you will probably be eating your normal diet. If your stomach is upset, try bland, low-fat foods like plain rice, broiled chicken, toast, and yogurt. Your doctor may recommend that you take iron and vitamin supplements.
- Continue to drink plenty of fluids. If you have kidney, heart, or liver disease and have to limit fluids, talk with your doctor before you increase the amount of fluids you drink.
- Eat healthy foods, and watch your portion sizes. Try to stay at your ideal weight. Too much weight puts more stress on your hip joint.
- You may notice that your bowel movements are not regular right after your surgery. This is common. Try to avoid constipation and straining with bowel movements. You may want to take a fiber supplement every day. If you have not had a bowel movement after a couple of days, ask your doctor about taking a mild laxative.
- Your doctor may want you to take calcium supplements and eat foods high in calcium, such as milk, cheese, ice cream, and salmon with bones. These help stop bone loss. Orange juice and soy milk with added calcium are also good choices.
Medicines
- Your doctor will tell you if and when you can restart your medicines. You will also be given instructions about taking any new medicines.
- If you stopped taking aspirin or some other blood thinner, your doctor will tell you when to start taking it again.
- Your doctor may give you a blood-thinning medicine to prevent blood clots. If you take a blood thinner, be sure you get instructions about how to take your medicine safely. Blood thinners can cause serious bleeding problems. This medicine could be in pill form or as a shot (injection). If a shot is necessary, your doctor will tell you how to do this.
- Be safe with medicines. Take pain medicines exactly as directed.
- If the doctor gave you a prescription medicine for pain, take it as prescribed.
- If you are not taking a prescription pain medicine, ask your doctor if you can take an over-the-counter medicine.
- If you think your pain medicine is making you sick to your stomach:
- Take your medicine after meals (unless your doctor has told you not to).
- Ask your doctor for a different pain medicine.
- If your doctor prescribed antibiotics, take them as directed. Do not stop taking them just because you feel better. You need to take the full course of antibiotics.
Incision care
- You will have a bandage over the cut (incision) and staples or stitches. If there is no drainage, most doctors will let you take the bandage off in a few days.
- Your doctor will remove the staples or stitches 10 days to 3 weeks after the surgery and replace them with strips of tape. Leave the tape on for a week or until it falls off.
Exercise
- Your rehab program will include a number of exercises to do. Always do them as your therapist tells you.
- Do not do any vigorous exercise for 12 weeks or until your doctor tells you it is okay.
Ice and elevation
- Put ice or a cold pack on the area for 10 to 20 minutes at a time. Try to do this every 1 to 2 hours for the next 3 days (when you are awake). Put a thin cloth between the ice and your skin.
- Your ankle may swell for about 3 months. Prop up your ankle when you ice it or anytime you sit or lie down. Try to keep it above the level of your heart. This will help reduce swelling.
Other instructions
- Continue to wear your compression stockings as your doctor says. The length of time that you will have to wear them depends on your activity level and the amount of swelling you have. Most people wear these stockings for 4 to 6 weeks after surgery.
- Follow these tips to prevent falls:
- Arrange furniture so that you won't trip on it.
- Get rid of throw rugs, and move electrical cords out of the way.
- Walk only in areas with plenty of light.
- Put grab bars in showers and bathtubs.
- Try to avoid icy or snowy sidewalks. Choose shoes with good traction, or consider using traction devices that attach to your shoes.
- Wear shoes with sturdy, flat soles.
When should you call for help?
Call 911 anytime you think you may need emergency care. For example, call if:
- You passed out (lost consciousness).
- You have severe trouble breathing.
- You have sudden chest pain and shortness of breath, or you cough up blood.
Call your doctor now or seek immediate medical care if:
- Your leg or foot is cool or pale or changes color.
- You cannot feel or move your leg.
- You have signs of a blood clot, such as:
- Pain in your calf, back of the knee, thigh, or groin.
- Redness and swelling in your leg or groin.
- Your incision comes open and begins to bleed, or the bleeding increases.
- You feel like your heart is racing or beating irregularly.
- You have signs of infection, such as:
- Increased pain, swelling, warmth, or redness.
- Red streaks leading from the incision.
- Pus draining from the incision.
- A fever.
Watch closely for any changes in your health, and be sure to contact your doctor if:
- You do not have a bowel movement after taking a laxative.
- You do not get better as expected.
Current as of: July 31, 2024
Author: Ignite Healthwise, LLC Staff
Clinical Review Board
All Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.
