I have to have a hip replacement operation this spring, how long will it be before I have completely recovered?
I’ve had both hips replaced in separate surgeries 5 months apart. The recovery period for hip replacement typically includes physical therapy which begins immediately when they get the patient out of bed and walking on a walker. My PT continued for about 2 months with the exercises getting progressively more challenging. I continued doing my PT routines even after outpatient PT was completed, adding things like elliptical trainer, walking progressively longer distances, cycling, free weights, etc. That is a good time to continue with the exercising since you would already be in the habit of doing daily PT exercises Pain-free? Since hospitals and physicians are rather aggressive at treating pain these days, you can almost count on being pain-free immediately. For my first couple of post-op days, I had a PCA pump which delivered a set amount of pain med automatically in my IV and allowed me to push a button if I thought I needed more. After they took the PCA away, I was put on oral meds.
