Recovery, week by week
What to expect after an anterior hip replacement, from the day of surgery through the months that follow. These are typical timelines, and everyone moves at their own pace.
Fast at first, then gradual
Most of the visible progress happens in the first six weeks, when you go from walking with an aid to moving freely around the house and back to light activity. After that, recovery is slower and quieter, as strength and stamina keep building over several months. Feeling tired in the early weeks is normal; your body is healing.
Up and moving
Most people stand and take a few steps with a walking aid within hours of surgery, and most go home the same day; some stay one night. You can usually sit, bend, and lie normally.
Settling in at home
Short, frequent walks indoors with your aid. Bruising and swelling at the front of the thigh are common. Keep the wound clean and dry as instructed, and take pain relief so you can keep moving.
Off the walking aid
Many people move from a walker to a cane and then to walking unaided around this time. A wound check happens in this window. Comfort improves noticeably.
Back to daily life
Most daily activities feel manageable, and many people return to desk work in this period. Driving, flying, and the gym wait until the six-week mark. Your six-week review confirms how things are going.
Building strength
After your six-week re-assessment, driving, flying, and a graded return to the gym usually resume. Walking distance and stamina grow, and physical or manual work usually resumes in this period.
Back to activity
Most people return to more active exercise and low-impact sport around three months, and keep gaining strength for up to a year. Your team will guide higher-impact activity.
These are typical timelines and vary from person to person.
Getting back to normal
- Driving and machinery. Not for six weeks. Do not drive a motor vehicle or operate heavy machinery for six weeks after surgery.
- Flying. Not for six weeks, mainly because of the risk of blood clots after surgery.
- The gym. No gym for six weeks. Your six-week re-assessment clears your return.
- Work. Desk work in a few weeks; physical work usually six to twelve weeks.
- Sleep. Comfort in bed improves over the first weeks. Many find it easier to settle with a pillow between the knees early on.
- Stairs. Manageable from early on, one step at a time to begin with.
- Normal. Bruising, swelling, and some discomfort that settles over weeks. A little warmth around the wound early on.
- Worth a call. Spreading redness, fever, increasing wound fluid, new calf pain or swelling, or a hip that will not bear weight.
- Emergency. Sudden shortness of breath or chest pain. Treat this as an emergency and call 911.
Dental work and your new hip
Once you have a joint replacement, Dr. Khoshbin recommends a preventive (prophylactic) antibiotic before dental procedures. Tell your dentist you have a hip replacement, and ask your dentist or the office about the prescription before your appointment.
This page is general information, not personal medical advice. Your recovery plan and timelines depend on you and your surgery, and your surgical team's instructions come first.