Nutritional Needs for a Patient After Hip Replacement Surgery

Doctors may perform hip replacement surgery on patients with hip pain, reduced hip joint mobility, or arthritis. This procedure is successful in most cases and requires a careful recovery with special attention to nutritional needs.

Surgery

• According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, physicians remove damaged bone and cartilage from a patient’s hip joint during hip replacement surgery and add an artificial hip joint made of ceramic, metal, or plastic that may be cemented into place.

Recovery Diet

• Patients may experience a loss of appetite that lasts for several weeks after surgery. Hip replacement patients should drink plenty of fluids as they recover from the procedure.

Healing Needs

• People who undergo hip replacement surgery should eat a balanced diet and take an iron supplement as directed by a physician to help restore muscle strength and promote proper healing of body tissues.

Recovery Activity

• Doctors may recommend exercises during hip surgery recovery. Patients should be able to resume most regular physical activities within three to six weeks following surgery. Patients should avoid falls or injuries during recovery, and they should refrain from jogging or any high impact athletic activities for the rest of their lives.

Precautions

• Patients should not cross their legs, bend their hips more than 90 degrees or turn their feet sharply inward or outward while they recover from surgery.