First Week and Wound Care After Hip Replacement
The first week after hip replacement focuses on safe transfers, short walks with the prescribed aid, pain and clot-prevention medicines, basic exercises, hydration, bowel care and protection of the incision. Bruising, fatigue and swelling are expected to some degree, but the overall direction should gradually improve rather than rapidly worsen.
For the principal treatment page, read Hip Replacement Surgeon in Mumbai.
Quick First-Week Priorities
Use the prescribed walker, crutches or cane and take short frequent walks.
Follow the exact dressing and shower instructions for the closure used.
Take pain medicine and clot prevention exactly as prescribed.
Keep a written medicine schedule and emergency contact details available.
Report increasing drainage, redness, fever, worsening rest pain or sudden loss of function promptly.
The First 24 to 48 Hours
Many patients stand and begin walking on the day of surgery or the next day with supervision. The team checks blood pressure, pain control, bladder function, wound status, nerve and circulation findings and the ability to transfer and walk safely. Discharge depends on medical stability and home support—not a promised number of hours or nights.
Days 3 to 7
Use short frequent walks rather than one exhausting session. Continue the prescribed exercises and walking aid. Alternate activity with rest, and use the advised swelling-control measures. Repeated decline, inability to transfer or pain not controlled by the written plan should prompt contact with the treating team.
Read Walking After Hip Replacement and Hip Replacement Recovery Timeline.
Dressing, Showering and the Incision
Do not assume every dressing is waterproof. Follow the written instruction for changing, removing or keeping it dry. Avoid soaking the incision until it has healed. If the dressing loosens, becomes saturated or drainage increases, contact the team rather than repeatedly opening it. Do not apply powders, oils, antiseptics, creams or home preparations unless specifically advised.
What Can Be Expected Around the Wound?
Mild bruising, local warmth and swelling can occur. The incision edges should remain together and drainage should not progressively increase. A photograph can help show change, but it cannot replace examination when fever, spreading redness, foul drainage or worsening deep pain is present.
Medicines, Food and Bowel Care
Use a written schedule to avoid missed or duplicate doses. Constipation, nausea and reduced appetite can follow anaesthesia and pain medicine. Fluids, protein, fibre and the prescribed bowel plan can help. Contact the team for persistent vomiting, inability to take medicines, severe abdominal symptoms, confusion or dehydration.
Read Blood Clots After Hip Replacement.
Sleep, Swelling and Fall Prevention
Sleep can be disturbed by pain, unfamiliar positions and daytime naps. Use the permitted sleeping position and pillows. Swelling may extend down the leg and change through the day. Keep the walking aid and a light within reach, stand slowly and keep the bathroom route clear. Do not massage a newly swollen calf or use unapproved sedatives or alcohol for sleep.
Read Sleeping Position After Hip Replacement.
Contact the Surgical Team the Same Day For
Persistent or increasing drainage, spreading redness, fever, chills or wound opening.
A sudden major increase in pain or repeated falls.
New foot weakness, numbness or difficulty controlling the leg.
A leg that becomes much more swollen or painful on one side.
Persistent vomiting, severe constipation or inability to take medicines.
Seek Emergency Care For
Sudden breathlessness, chest pain, coughing blood, fainting or collapse.
A visibly shortened or rotated leg with severe pain or inability to bear weight.
A cold, pale or pulseless foot, major bleeding or rapidly worsening illness.
Questions Patients Commonly Ask
When can I shower?
It depends on the dressing and surgeon’s protocol. Follow the written discharge instruction rather than a generic date.
How much should I walk?
Use short frequent walks with the advised aid and stop before fatigue makes gait unsafe. Progress from function and the next-day response, not a fixed step target.
Is warmth around the incision normal?
Some warmth can occur, but increasing redness, drainage, fever, chills or worsening pain needs prompt review.
Clinical References
AAOS OrthoInfo: Total Hip Replacement
AAOS OrthoInfo: Joint Replacement Infection
NICE NG157: joint replacement rehabilitation and discharge information
About Dr. Mayur Rabhadiya
Dr. Mayur Rabhadiya is an Orthopedic and Joint Replacement Surgeon in Mumbai. First-week instructions are matched to the closure, dressing, medical risk, operation and discharge pathway rather than copied from a universal timetable. Qualifications: MBBS, D’Ortho, DNB (Orthopedics), MNAMS (Orthopedics), FIJR (Robotic & Navigation). Read his professional profile.
Written and medically reviewed by Dr. Mayur Rabhadiya. Last medically reviewed: 17 July 2026.
Book a Hip-Replacement Follow-Up
For emergency symptoms, seek hospital care. For wound or recovery review, consultations are available in Ghatkopar East and Ghatkopar West, Mumbai. Call or WhatsApp +91 84249 03913 or +91 96113 30063, or use the orthopedic appointment page.
Medical Disclaimer
This guide provides general education and does not replace the treating team’s operation-specific dressing, medicine, weight-bearing and emergency instructions.