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POSTOPERATIVE INSTRUCTIONS – HIP ARTHROSCOPY WITH LABRAL REPAIR

MOVEMENT
You are touch down (50%) weight bearing after surgery; it is required that you use crutches for 3 weeks postoperatively to provide you with extra stability and to protect your hip. Do not hyperextend or hyperflex your hip. This will be painful. Only move your hip within a pain-free range of motion.  You have been provided a hinged hip brace – this is to be used for your comfort only while ambulating; it is unlocked from 0 – 90 degrees.

The day after surgery, once your nerve block has worn off, we encourage you to ride a stationary bike two – four times a day every day for 5-10 minutes as tolerated. This will keep your hip from getting too stiff immediately after surgery.  A continuous passive motion (CPM) machine will be provided for you – you should use this machine for 4 hours a day – 2 hours a day if utilizing the bicycle.  Keep hip flexion less than 90 degrees with the CPM.

SLEEP
A hip positioner brace has been provided for your use while sleeping. Please wear it at night while you sleep for the first week after your surgery.  This will keep your feet straight and not allow your legs to turn out.

ICE  
An ice machine will be provided to you prior to your surgery. This will help decrease swelling and pain after your surgery. Use the ice machine as much as possible when you get home at intervals of 30 minutes on and off. You should keep the ice machine for approximately two weeks. Do not use the ice machine while you are sleeping.

MEDICATIONS
If you were given a nerve block for anesthesia, it will wear off over 18-24 hours. During this time you will have little to no feeling in the body part where you had surgery (i.e. leg). Please be careful and use your brace or crutches during this time to avoid any falls after your surgery. Also, an injection of local anesthesia was injected into your hip after the completion of the operation. This medication will wear off in 5 to 6 hours. To control your pain during this transition while the nerve block is wearing off, you are to eat first and then begin taking the pain medication (e.g. Vicodin, Percocet, etc) immediately when you get home from surgery.  This will prevent you from having severe pain. Take the pain medication every 4 hours until you go to bed.

You have also been given an anti-inflammatory prescription called Naprosyn.  You should begin taking this medicine the night of the surgery.  You are to take 500mg (1 tab) two times daily.  This medicine serves two purposes:  1. It will help cut down on the use of the narcotic medicine, and 2. Prevent bone from re-growing around the hip joint.  You are to take this medication for an entire month.

A sleeping medication (e.g. Ambien) is also provided to help you sleep at night. Take one tablet 30 minutes before you plan to sleep.

DRESSING/BANDAGES
Your hip dressing is waterproof. You may shower the next day after surgery. Two days after surgery you may remove the entire dressing. Gently wash the wounds with soap and warm water and towel dry. You may then cover the incisions with band-aids until your post op visit.

Do not take a bath or submerge your hip in water until your incisions are checked at your first post-op visit.

DRIVING
You may drive 10 days after surgery if you are not taking pain medication. If your right leg is the operative side, then you must have good control of your leg prior to driving.

APPOINTMENT
Please call the office prior to, or immediately following, your surgery in order to schedule a postoperative appointment.  This should be scheduled 10-12 days after surgery.  At that visit your stitches will be removed and you will be given a prescription for physical therapy.

If you develop a fever (101.5), redness or drainage from the surgical incision site, please call our office to arrange for an evaluation.

You may experience some low back pain due to muscle spasm from the epidural anesthesia and / or traction.  If so, apply a heating pad to the area and take an analgesic if you have not already done so.

If you have any difficulty using anti-inflammatory medications or aspirin or have a history of ulcer disease, please let us know. 

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