Patients spend the two hours following surgery in the recovery room where nurses closely monitor them. The first night after surgery is typically spent in the intensive care unit to facilitate close monitoring and after that, the patient is returned to the
normal ward.
The same team of medical specialists cares for each patient pre- and post-operatively. Included among the team's post-surgical priorities are pain management, preventing infection, and the prevention of deep vein thrombosis (blood clots in large veins), and pulmonary embolus (blood clots traveling through veins to the lungs).
Patients begin physical therapy as soon as possible to improve hip motion and muscle function and to learn to use appropriate assistive devices such as crutches or a walker. During the first eight weeks following surgery, the injured hip should bear no more than a limited weight of 30 pounds. Placing full weight on the injured side prior to bone healing can cause the screws or plates which hold the broken bone together to bend or break. Too vigorous exercise such as resistive exercise against weights can also cause failure. If failure occurs, re-operation may be necessary and the chance of developing arthritis is greatly increased.
X-rays will be taken to assess the surgical result 2 to 4 days after surgery. |