Hip surgery? My grandpa is having hip surgery and I was wondering what to expect and if there's anything..
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I have worked on a orthopedic floor for about a year before i moved hip surgeries were regulars for us..judging by the state your grandfather is in he seems he make take to the surgery well and has a high pain tolerance..while the doctors will make sure he is properly medicated. It is a good idea to visit him and ask the nurses question about his home care ask the physical therapist to show you how to properly help him up from the bed...and see if there is any nutritional support that may help like some protein shakes like boost that the hospital can offer while he stays..plenty of rest is a must...the first time he get on his feet will be the hardest but the more hes up the better the pain will get..try to have plenty of pillows on hand at home because it will be difficult for him to fin a comfortable position to lay in and he will need to keep legs abducted (outward) awhile. Talk to the nurses about how to help change the dressings at home as well..asks lots of questions...he will probably have a walker as well.
Is he having a hip replacement? I had that surgery last year. It is very painful at first but in time he will be able to walk without pain. It is very important that he do all of the exercises they tell him to do so that he has a full recovery. It will take a lot of patience and care because he will have quite a bit of pain a first. But it is all worth it. Otherwise, he would be in a wheel chair.
My hubby had this about two years ago. He was 48. Make sure that all scatter rugs and such are removed before he gets home. Things like that tend to trip them up when they are getting around in the beginning at home. He will be in some pain and probably will be crabby so don't take anything he says in the first couple of weeks to heart. Just visit him and take his mind off of his discomfort. Make sure that your grandmother has some time to herself and gets out some while he is recovering at home. She needs to take care of herself too. Be alert to him tiring easily doing things that normally would be fine for him in the beginning too. It takes time to heal and he might get impatient. Be sure to encourage him to do the physical therapy because that is VERY important for his recovery. Then just relax. It will work out okay. Good Luck.
Hip replacement surgery is painful. But everyone is different when it come to pain. Keeping the pain under control will be very important to his recovery. He will be prescribed a narcotic for this. There are also hip precautions that he and the family will be instructed on. No bending over, and no crossing of the legs. When he lays on his non surgical side he will need to have pillows between his legs to keep the hip in proper alignment. If he doesn't follow the instructions he's given the hip could become dislocated, requiring another trip into surgery.
After 2 or 3 days on an acute care floor he may be sent to a rehabilitation unit if the doctor doesn't think he's ready to go home yet. He will get home health therapy when he eventually goes home, either from the acute care floor or the rehabilitation floor.
As long as he does his therapy, keeps moving, and follows his hip precautions, he should be fine.
Good for your grandpa to get a good repair job...hip replacement surgery is really a routine procedure anymore, and from what you've said about him getting around like a man half his age, he'll be highly motivated to do the exercises and recover his mobility right on schedule. The first few days at home will be challenging at first, but the post-operative exercise schedule & check-ups will keep him busy, and they'll be watching him like a hawk to see he's healing right and testing his new joint by the exercise program they'll set up for him. The hospital will send a "what to expect" type of information sheet home with him, and you can read that so you can feel more reassured about his progress. He must be in great general health anyway, right? They wouldn't operate otherwise---they probably went over him with a fine-tooth comb to make sure of that. He's a lucky guy to have you and your sister around to help your grandma and him, so just be glad it's 2007 instead of 20 yrs ago when these operations weren't so 'routine'. They've got it down sooooo good nowadays...call him Bionic Grampa, OK?
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