Hip Arthroscopy Information for patients preparing for recovery at home Read this brochure to learn about: How to take care of yourself at home How to cope with pain Problems to watch for When to get medical help What to know about your follow-up visit You have had an anesthetic or narcotic medicine. Do not drive a car or drink alcohol for 24 hours. Have a responsible adult stay with you overnight. Day Surgery Unit, Toronto Western Hospital Please visit the UHN Patient Education website for more health information: www.uhnpatienteducation.ca 2018 University Health Network. All rights reserved. This information is to be used for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult your health care provider for advice about a specific medical condition. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for non-commercial personal use only. Author: Day Surgery Unit, Toronto Western Hospital / Reviewed 2017 by Dr. Syed Revised: 01/2018 Form: D-5643
What is a hip arthroscopy? Your surgeon has made small incisions (cuts) in your hip area. This lets your surgeon look inside your hip joint. Your surgeon may also have repaired any problems found. What can I eat and drink after my surgery? You can return to eating and drinking as normal. If you are feeling nauseated (sick to your stomach) or you are vomiting, you can get anti-nausea medicine from your pharmacy without a prescription. Take it as directed and keep drinking fluids until the nausea passes. Then slowly return to eating your normal foods. How much activity is safe? Go home and rest today on your first day home from hospital. If you had a Regional Block (if your foot had been frozen) it may take a few hours for the feeling in your foot to be normal again. Don t walk or move around more than you have to until all the feeling and movement comes back. Do NOT stand on your foot for long periods of time. When you are sitting or lying down, raise your foot up on 1 or 2 pillows. This prevents swelling and bleeding. Do NOT do any strenuous activities like jogging or cycling until your surgeon tells you it is safe. Your surgeon will tell you when you can go back to work and sports. The time you have to wait depends on your job and the sport you play. 2
Do I need crutches? No, unless your surgeon has told you to use them. You may be up walking with full weight on both legs. If your surgeon has told you to use crutches, follow the surgeon s instructions. Use the pamphlet How to Use Crutches. How do I take care of my wound? Keep your wound clean and dry at all times. Take off your dressing 5 days after your surgery. If you have stitches, put a Band-Aid over your wound once you ve taken off the dressing. You will need to wear Band-Aids for the next 7 to 10 days (until the stitches are taken out). If you have steri-strips, leave them in place until they peel off on their own. You do not have to wear Band-Aids over the steri-strips. Your stitches should be taken off in 12 to 14 days. Make an appointment with your family doctor to have this done or make an appointment at the Fracture Clinic (416 603 5858) at the Toronto Western Hospital. Use ice compresses For the first 2 days after your operation: Apply ice compresses to your hip area for 15 minutes. Do this 5 times per day. Use ice packs or crushed ice in a plastic bag, wrapped in a thin towel. Be careful not to get the dressings wet. Do not use heat packs on your operated hip. 3
How do I shower or bathe? You can take a shower 5 days after your surgery once your dressing is removed. NO baths or swimming until your surgeon says it is safe to do so. If you have steri-strips, keep them in place until they fall off or have been removed in 7 days. Pat the area dry gently. After you shower, you can put the tensor bandage back on using slight tension to help reduce pain and swelling. If the tensor is too tight (causing tingling or the area turns purple) loosen it and reapply. How do I cope with pain? It s normal to feel pain after having surgery. Your pain should get better after a few days. We will give you a prescription for pain medicine, and possibly for swelling. Take the prescription to a pharmacy and follow the directions for taking the medication. Take the pain medicine every 4 to 6 hours for the first 24 hours if you are feeling pain. After the first 24 hours, you can gradually decrease your pain medicine as you feel more comfortable. (Take less and less pain medicine until you don t need any.) What if I get constipated? Pain medication can cause constipation. To prevent constipation: 99 Drink 3 to 5 glasses of water every day (each glass should be about 8 ounces. 99 Eat foods that are high in fibre (such as bran and fruits). 9 9 If you have not had a bowel movement for 72 hours, take 30 ml of Milk of Magnesia. You can buy this from your pharmacy without a prescription. 4
What to do in an emergency Call your surgeon s office or go to the nearest emergency department if the following happens: Bleeding that won t stop Pain Press on the area for 30 minutes. If the bleeding does not stop and soaks the dressing, call your surgeon. If you can t reach your surgeon, go to the nearest hospital emergency department. If your pain becomes very bad and it doesn t get better when you take the pain medicine that we prescribed, call your surgeon or family doctor. Please have the phone number for your pharmacy ready because the doctor may want to call the pharmacy to change your prescription. If you can t reach either the surgeon or your family doctor, go the nearest hospital emergency department. Swelling Call your surgeon if: your foot or ankle is very swollen, or your toes are cold or have changed colour (they are pale white or bluish), or you have less feeling in your foot/ankle, or you can t move your toes If you can t reach your surgeon, go to the nearest hospital emergency department. Fever If your temperature goes higher than 38 C or 101 F, call your surgeon. If you can t reach your surgeon, go to the nearest hospital emergency department. 5
Your follow-up appointment If you don t already have a follow-up appointment, please call your surgeon s office or the Fracture Clinic (416 603 5858) to make one. Your appointment should be 12 to 14 days after your surgery. Date: Time: Doctor: Location: Phone: Special instructions for you For more information visit www.uhn.ca and www.uhnpatienteducation.ca 6