After Care – Archives

• Hip Replacement Aftercare - The Reins Are In Your Hands
  Success of the surgery depends on the hip replacement aftercare. There are certain hip maneuvers that need to be avoided for an uneventful recovery. Sit in a chair with arms as it supports you while getting up. Avoid prolonged sitting that can stress your new hip implant. Do not cross your legs, it helps in maintaining a specific angle to the hips after replacement. The knees should not be bent upwards above the hip level and a distance of twelve to eighteen inches should be maintained between the knees. Regarding footwear, try to don slip-on shoes. Elastic stockings are advised untill your doctor tells you to stop. Always keep the surgery incision clean and dry. Driving is not recommended for six weeks after hip replacements or implants. Aftercare precautions do not allow you to bend over to pick up things from the floor.
  Author: Dr. Bharat Sharma - Date: 08/03/2005



• Post Operation Activities - Handle With Care
  The activities in the postoperative period of a hip replacement are aimed at providing comfort to the patient as well as a healing time for the hip joint. On the day after surgery, the patient is made to lie on the bed with a pillow called a flexion pillow between the legs. The flexion pillow helps maintain the bone angle at the hips and supports the implant. The incision site of the operation may be painful, for which pain relievers would be administered. Physiotherapy is an indispensable part of the post operation activities, and starts as early as the patient is comfortable, in some cases the day after surgery. The physiotherapy session involves rehabilitation exercises that strengthen the hips and make the body accustomed to working with the implant. It also suggests certain modifications needed in day-to-day activities that could otherwise prove detrimental to the surgery. The hospital stay may be for four to six days depending on the rate of recovery.
  Author: Dr. Bharat Sharma - Date: 08/03/2005



• Post Surgery Procedures - A Journey Towards Better Health
  The post operative period is a very crucial phase from a prognostic point of view. The maximum benefits of the surgery in terms of restoration of activities depend on the efficacy of care provided after the procedure. Post surgery procedures decide the prospective gains from the operation. The patient is detained in the post operative room for two hours and pain killers administered at frequent intervals. The bandaged hip is checked regularly for any leakage after the procedure, and the patient is then shifted to the hospital ward.
  Author: Dr. Bharat Sharma - Date: 08/03/2005



• Hip Replacement Recovery - Get Back To Life!!!
  Recovery from surgery is a matter of hard work and is dependent on many factors. The preoperative work up, the actual procedure of hip replacement and uneventful post operative period all combined contribute towards hip replacement recovery. The physiological status of the patient before the surgery is essential in deciding their rate of recovery after implant replacement. People with any unstable medical condition tend to fare poorly after the hips replacement. Any negligence by the operating team during surgery may have adverse effects on patient’s recovery. The negligence can be in terms of aseptic techniques or use of any faulty instrument. The restrictions posed on an individual, if not abided by may also lead to problems in recovery after implant surgery.
  Author: Dr. Bharat Sharma - Date: 08/03/2005



• Wear Resistant Implants - Wear The Sturdy One!
  A Hip replacement implant is the only option left for people with a troublesome, debilitating hip. However, there are many factors to be considered before your hips are replaced with an artificial implant. Hip replacements may not provide the range of activities before surgery. The artificial hip joints are liable to wear, leading to replacement implant failure. At this point in time, there is no implant that is free of friction forces. But researchers have devised wear resistant implants that have lesser degree of friction and wear.
  Author: Dr. Bharat Sharma - Date: 25/01/2006