For what's normal versus what needs a call, see What's Normal, and When to Call. For driving, work, and activity, see Getting Back to Life.
Day of surgery
Most people are up and walking with support on the day of surgery or the following morning. A physiotherapist will guide you through safe movement, using your walking aid, and general precautions.
A few things that help from day one:
- Short walks, done often, matter more than one long walk
- Regular ankle pumps and deep breathing help reduce clot risk
- Ice and elevation help manage swelling
- Move slowly between lying, sitting, and standing, to avoid feeling lightheaded
Confirm frequency guidance for ankle pumps and deep breathing with Professor Rodda's team.
The first 24 to 48 hours
By the morning after surgery, the leg often starts to feel heavy, some people describe it as feeling like a telephone pole. This is the joint injection and nerve block from surgery wearing off, and normal swelling beginning. It's expected, not a sign anything has gone wrong.
A burning sensation around the incision is also common in this window and settles with time.
Week 1
A week in can feel like it's dragged. That's normal. Swelling generally takes 10 to 14 days to properly begin settling, think of a riverbank after heavy rain: the water rises fast, but it takes a good week or two for everything to properly drain.
Most people are managing with a combination of pain relief during this period, guided by Professor Rodda's own post-operative instructions.
Specific medication protocol to be confirmed and inserted here, this page should reflect Professor Rodda's actual guidance, not a generic timeline.
This is also when the question of driving first comes up for a lot of people. The general markers are: good control of the leg, the ability to brake firmly in an emergency, no longer taking medication that affects reaction time, and genuinely feeling safe. It's sensible to test this first in a large, quiet car park rather than in traffic.
Confirm Professor Rodda's specific driving guidance for his patients.
Week 2
Dry skin often starts appearing around now, as the swelling begins to reduce, this is a normal part of the process, not a concern.
It's genuinely common to feel low around this point. Between disrupted sleep, medication, and the physical toll of the surgery, many people describe feeling flat or discouraged in week two, even when recovery is otherwise going well. It passes. If it doesn't start lifting, it's worth mentioning at your follow-up.
Sleep itself can take considerably longer than people expect to properly settle, sometimes ten weeks or more, though for many people it starts improving noticeably once walking and range of motion improve.
Week 3
By three weeks, most people are off stronger pain medication, moving to over-the-counter options if needed. It's still normal for the hip to feel warm, swollen, and sometimes a little red, ice continues to help.
Confirm with Professor Rodda at what point a temperature or specific symptom should prompt a call, to state explicitly here, see also What's Normal, and When to Call.
Some pain, especially after activity, is expected. If a walk leaves you sore afterwards, the usual advice is to shorten the next one rather than push through, moderation matters more than distance at this stage.
Weeks 4 to 6
This is generally when things start to feel like clear, visible progress. Walking distance increases steadily, and most people progress from a frame to crutches to a single stick, and eventually to no aid, though the exact pace varies person to person.
Two things surprise a lot of people in this window:
Knee pain on the same side as the hip. This is a recognised, temporary phenomenon that can persist for two to three months after hip surgery, even in people who had no knee symptoms beforehand. It generally resolves with time and isn't a sign of a knee problem.
A leg that feels the wrong length. Very common in the early weeks. In most cases, this is the pelvis and surrounding muscles adjusting, not an actual physical difference and it typically settles as recovery progresses.
Three to six months
Most swelling has properly settled by three to four months, though a small amount can linger longer for some people. Sleep is generally back to normal within this window.
By around three months, most people are walking without an aid and back to the large majority of their usual daily activities.
Six to twelve months
The last of the deep healing continues quietly through the rest of the first year, even once things feel essentially normal day to day. It's a good comparison to think of a significant fracture, nobody expects a healed bone to be back to full strength the moment the cast comes off, and the hip is no different.
Common questions.
How long until I can walk without crutches after a hip replacement?
Most people are walking unaided somewhere between two and six weeks. The order is usually two crutches, then one, then none, and it is driven by your gait rather than by the calendar. Walking unaided before your gait has normalised teaches a limp that then has to be unlearned.
When can I drive after a hip replacement?
When you can perform an emergency stop without hesitation and you are no longer taking strong pain medication. For most people that is between two and six weeks, sooner for a left hip in an automatic. Check your insurer's position.
Do I have to sleep on my back?
Initially, yes. Most people manage their side from somewhere between two and six weeks, with a pillow between the knees for comfort. After an anterior approach there are usually no formal precautions, so this is about comfort rather than protecting the hip.
Is numbness on my outer thigh normal?
Yes, after an anterior approach. A small sensory nerve runs across the surgical field and a patch of numbness or altered sensation on the outer thigh is common. It usually recovers over months, occasionally does not, and it does not affect how the hip works.
How much physiotherapy will I need?
Much less than after a knee replacement. Usually a short course to check your gait and progress your strength work, rather than a six-week supervised programme. Walking little and often is what actually drives a hip recovery.
This page provides general information about a medical condition and a surgical procedure. It is not individual medical advice and does not replace consultation with a qualified practitioner. Outcomes vary between individuals and all surgery carries risk. A referral is needed for a consultation with Professor Daevyd Rodda; without one, you can start with the practice nurse practitioner, who can provide it.