Surgery & Recovery
What to expect after your operation
You should expect to be in hospital for 5 - 7 days. On the day of your surgery, if you feel up to it, you can get out of bed.
| Day of surgery |
Bed rest |
| Day 1 post surgery |
The day after your surgery you can expect to sit on the side of your bed, or if you feel well enough you may get out of bed and walk a short distance (5 - 10 metres) with a pick-up frame.. |
| Day 2 post surgery |
You will use a pick-up frame to walk 1 lap of the ward with the assistance of a physiotherapist. You may progress to crutches and walk a further lap of the ward later in the day. |
| Day 3 post surgery |
You can expect to be mobilising on your own whilst using crutches or stick and practising going up and down steps. |
| Day 4 post surgery |
You should find you are becoming more confident and independent with a crutch or stick. You should be fully weight bearing through the replaced joint. Most patients are discharged. |
Many people are discharged within 5 days of surgery. Of course, there are many reasons why your surgeon may want you to stay longer and follow a different regimen of exercises and walking (particularly if you have had revision hip or knee replacement surgery), so you should not be disappointed if you take a little longer to recover. |
