🍽Diet
- Begin with clear liquids and light foods (jello, soup, toast, etc…)
- Progress slowly back to your pre-op diet as tolerated
- Try to avoid taking narcotics on an empty stomach to avoid nausea
🩹Wound Care
- Take good care of your operative dressing.
- Your dressing is water-tight and should remain in place until your first post-op visit.
- You may shower after surgery.
- To avoid infections, keep surgical incisions clean and dry. –NO immersion of leg in water (ie: bath or pool)
💊Medications
- Pain medication is injected into the wound and hip joint during surgery. This will wear off in approximately 8-12 hours from surgery.
- Most patients will require a period of narcotic pain medication. This should be taken as directed on the bottle
- Norco (hydrocodone/tylenol) or Percocet (oxycodone/Tylenol)
- Take 1-2 tablets every 4-6 hours as needed for pain.
- Maximum of 12 pills per 24 hour period
- Do NOT take additional Tylenol (acetaminophen) while taking these medications. Many products contain this medication (cough meds, cold meds) and can lead to liver damage.
- Common side effects of narcotic pain medications are nausea, drowsiness, and constipation. Use a stool softener (Colace, senokot) or laxative (Miralax) as needed
- You will be prescribed ONE of the following medications to thin your blood to reduce the risks of a blood clot/DVT. The choice of medications is based on your medical history and risk factors for blood clot. This will be determined by Dr. Wichman at the time of surgery
- If you are having problems with nausea and vomiting, call the office to see if the medication should be changed or additional medications prescribed.
- Journavx (suzetrigine): If you were prescribed Journavx, take 2 tablets (your one-time starting dose) with a small sip of water before leaving home the morning of surgery. Then take 1 tablet every 12 hours, starting 12 hours after your first dose, as directed. Take the starting dose on an empty stomach, and avoid grapefruit while taking this medication.
- Do not drive a car or operate heavy machinery while taking narcotics.
🏃Activity
- Unless otherwise specified, you may bear weight as tolerated immediately after surgery.
- No driving until instructed by medical team
- Wear your compression stockings on BOTH legs until your post-op visit.
- Your first post-operative visit will be with a PA, typically 7-14 days after surgery. Physical therapy will be arranged at that time.
- It is critical that you follow the appropriate precautions after surgery
- Posterior approach: For SIX (6) weeks- NO crossing your legs or bending past 90 degrees. Sleep with 1-2 pillows between your knees.
- SuperPath- For SIX (6) weeks- NO flexion past 120 degrees.
❄Ice Therapy
- Begin immediately after surgery
- Use ice machine or ice packs every 2 hours for 20 minutes until your first post-operative visit.
- If an ice machine was prescribed, may use continuously until first post-operative visit. Remember to protect the skin to avoid thermal injury (frostbite)
💪Exercise
- Begin exercises on post-operative day one. (Straight leg raises, quad sets, heel slides and ankle pumps)
- REMEMBER, there will be some pain associated with your exercises, utilize your pain medications to allow you to maximize your motion.
- Complete exercises 3-4 times daily until your first post-operative visit.
- Perform ankle pumps throughout the day to reduce risk of blood clot in your calf.
⚠When to Call Us
Contact Dr. Wichman at 414-479-7000 if any of the following are present:
- Painful swelling or numbness
- Unrelenting pain
- Redness around incisions
- Fever (above 101.5°F) - It is not uncommon to have a low-grade fever for the first day or two following surgery.
- Color changes in foot, ankle, or lower extremity
- Continuous drainage or bleeding from incisions (a small amount of drainage is expected.)
- Difficulty breathing
- Excessive nausea or vomiting
If you have an emergency after hours or over the weekend, call 414-479-7000 to be connected to the “on-call” physician or physician assistant. Do NOT call the hospital or surgery center.
If you have an emergency that requires immediate attention, call 911 or proceed to the nearest Emergency Room.