Your Hospital Stay:

You should be admitted to hospital in good time before your operation to allow time for you to settle in. Your anesthetist will examine you by checking your heart and chest. This is an opportunity for you to ask any questions before your operation.

On the day of your operation, it is usual that your doctor will ask you not to drink or eat anything. The area around your hip may be shaved to reduce the risk of infection.

An hour or before the operation you will be given tablets or an injection to relax you. This is known as a "pre-med". You will then be taken into the operating theatre where you will be given your anesthetic and have your operation.

The operation usually takes 1-2 hours to complete.

Immediately after your operation, you will be moved to the recovery room for close monitoring. You will have one or two drips in your arm to put fluid back into your body. When you wake up from surgery, your leg may be swollen and bruised and the muscles may be stiff and sore. Your new joint should not cause you any discomfort, but you may experience some pain from the surgical procedure itself. You will be given pain medications to take regularly whilst you are recovering.

When you are fully conscious, breathing well and your blood pressure and pulse are stable, you will be taken back to ward. You probably will not feel much like eating at first, but it is important that you drink. The scar on the side of the hip should eventually fade to a thin white line.

During the next few days, the drips will be removed. Your physiotherapist web visit you the day after your operation to commence you on your exercise programmed and help you get back on your feet walking again. You may feel unstable and in pain at first, but you will be given a frame to help you walk with, then crutches or sticks, which you may need for four to six weeks after, depending on your surgeon's instructions.