Preparing for Home

Since you will be spending a lot of time at home following surgery and your movements and activities will be restricted, it is important that you arrange your furniture and household items ahead of time to maximize your comfort and convenience during rehabilitation. Some things you may wish to do before surgery:

1. Add extra cushions to couches and chairs for comfort and to ensure that you will be sitting high enough to accommodate your new hip during your rehabilitation period. Since you should avoid bending your hip past 90 degrees, it is important that you not sit in a way that will bend your waist lower than your knees.
   
   
2. Cover or remove all chairs without arms. During rehabilitation, you should only sit in armchairs, as you will need the arms to help you sit down and get up.
   
3. Arrangements to have an elevated toilet seat and/or support bars fitted in your bathroom should be made when it is time to leave the hospital.
4. Make sure that any items you may need to reach have been moved to shelves or tables above waist level. You should not be bending past 90 degrees in rehabilitation.
5. Remove all throw rugs and anything else on the floor that it might cause you to slip or trip.
6. Anti-thrombotic stockings: 3 weeks.
7. Sub-cutaneus shots of heparine: 3 weeks.
8. Indomethacine for 3 weeks (to prevent heterotopic ossifications). For patients above 70 years.

Help at Home

The nurse assisting you and your family in planning for your care at home can offer home healthcare sources and information.

Restrictions

Progress varies from patient to patient, so discharge instructions may vary. You will receive specific instructions and precautions from your surgeon, nurse and physical therapist. These instructions should be continued until you return for a follow-up examination.