RECOVERING FROM

SURGERY

Your hip joint replacement surgery recovery follows a clear pathway, beginning with the early days in hospital, continuing at home, and supported by key check‑ins along the way.

From your initial hospital recovery to settling back into daily life at home, each stage is designed to build steadily on the last.

You’ll have a clinic visit at 4 weeks and a final check at one year to ensure your knee is healing as expected.

This page gives you an overview of what to expect at each step so you always know where you are in the journey.

RECOVERY IN HOSPITAL

Pain Management

  • Nurses will help manage pain with medication and comfort measures.

  • Tell staff if your pain isn’t controlled—they can adjust your plan.

Early Mobility

  • You’ll begin gentle movement soon after surgery.

  • Physiotherapists will guide you through safe exercises.

  • Follow hip precautions: no bending past 90°, no crossing legs, no twisting.

Physiotherapy

  • Simple exercises like glute squeezes, ankle pumps, and gentle hip abduction.

  • These help circulation, prevent stiffness, and build strength.

Occupational Therapy

  • Learn safe ways to get in and out of bed, dress, and bathe.

  • Practice using aids like reachers or sock helpers.

Discharge Planning

  • Staff will confirm your home setup and support arrangements.

  • You’ll be discharged once you’re safe to manage daily tasks with support.

RECOVERY AT HOME

Wound Care & Hygiene

  • Keep your dressing clean and dry.

  • Follow instructions for showering and wound checks.

Mobility & Walking Aids

  • Use crutches or a walker as advised.

  • Gradually increase walking distance each day.

Daily Routines

  • Avoid bending or twisting at the hip.

  • Use raised seating and aids to reduce strain.

  • Ask for help with cooking, cleaning, and groceries.

Nutrition & Emotional Wellbeing

  • Eat balanced meals to support healing.

  • Rest, but keep moving gently to avoid stiffness.

  • Stay connected with friends and family for support.

FOLLOW-UP & LONG-TERM RECOVERY

4 WEEK Clinic Visit

  • You will have this appointment provided when you go home from hospital.

  • Go first to Bay Radiology for an X-ray of your joint replacement.

  • Then come to Mr Lamberton’s rooms in Grace Orthopaedic Centre for review.

  • You may well be walking unaided, but if you still require one or two crutches or a walking stick, then don’t worry, your muscles will still be in the process of recovering.

  • After this visit, if you are off crutches and strong pain relief, then it is likely you will be cleared to return to driving.

  • Note that this is still early in your overall recovery, but hopefully you are feeling steady progress and that the worst is behind you!

  • For most patients, this will be the only check you need. Some patients are still a bit slow going at this stage through no fault of their own, due to the severity of the arthritis before surgery. If this is you, don’t worry — I will continue to follow you every six weeks until recovery is complete.

  • Swimming and cycling are recommended after this check.

  • Keep strengthening exercises part of your routine, but longer and longer walks, building up your walking endurance, is the best form of exercise at this stage.

3 MONTH Milestone

  • The aim is to be walking unaided, ideally for up to an hour by the three-month mark, if not before. You should expect to be off all regular pain relief by this time, but if you still need occasional Panadol or anti-inflammatory medication for muscle ache, this is fine.

  • It takes three months for the internal healing to take place and the dissolving stitches to fade away where the surgery has taken place, but also three months for the muscle control of the large muscles that work your hip to learn to control the hip replacement. For this reason, we ask you to remain cautious with bending, twisting, and lifting activities when the hip is bent past 90°, until the three-month mark.

  • After three months no specific precautions are required, apart from common sense.

  • You may resume higher risk activities such as golf, tennis, horse riding, etc after the three-month mark as long as you are walking for an hour or more with no significant discomfort in the hip area,

1 YEAR Clinic Visit with X-Ray

  • Even though it is very unusual for there to be a problem after the initial three months of recovery, for peace of mind we arrange a one-year check with an x-ray to ensure that you have fully recovered and that there is no concern with the joint replacement. Not only is this reassuring about your recovery, but it is also very predictive of a successful long-term outcome.

  • If you are from out of town, we can do this check by telemedicine, with you obtaining an x-ray in your hometown.

Follow-Up Schedule (Hip)
Exercise Progression Chart