Page 7 - total-hip-packet

Please purchase a bottle of chlorhexidine gluconate (Hibiclens®) at any pharmacy prior

to your surgery. You do not need a prescription for this.

USE THE SOAP WITH THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS:

• You will shower 3 times with the soap: two days before, the night before, and the morning of surgery.
For example:
o If your surgery is on Monday, you will shower with the soap Saturday evening,
Sunday evening, and early Monday morning.
o If your surgery is on Thursday, you will shower with the soap Tuesday evening,
Wednesday evening, and early Thursday morning.

• First, wash your hair with your regular shampoo and conditioner and rinse.
• Use a clean cloth and apply the CHG soap to your body from the jaw down. Do not get
CHG soap in your eyes, ears, nose, or mouth.
• Wash your entire body for 3-5 minutes and pay special attention to the area where
you will have surgery. Do not scrub your skin hard.
• Rinse your body. Do not use any other soap after using the CHG soap.
• Pat your skin dry with a clean towel after each shower.
• Dress in clean clothes with clean bed sheets.
• Do not apply lotions or powder after using CHG soap. It is ok to use deodorant or
antiperspirant.

PHYSICAL THERAPY

Physical Therapy after a hip replacement typically isn’t needed. Most patients will do enough therapy with walking. If you
feel like you would like therapy, let our team know and we can arrange this.

PRECAUTIONS FOR HIP REPLACEMENT PATIENTS
The following are some precautions to keep you from dislocating (ball coming out of the socket) your new hip as the soft
tissues heals. This is very rare, but we want to do everything we can to prevent it. These precautions are just
temporary (6 to 8 weeks) as your body heals. The best advice is to take things slow with a walker initially and “listen to
your body.” If something is painful or uncomfortable, hold off and don’t put your leg in that position right now. Over time,
once the scar tissue has formed and matured, our goal will be that you can do whatever you want with your new hip.

ANTERIOR HIP PRECAUTIONS (If your incision is in the front)
Do not turn your knee or foot excessively outward
(external rotation of the hip)
• Do not pivot on your operated leg. Make sure you
pick your feet up and take small steps to turn.
Do not extend your surgical leg backward
excessively past your trunk
• Do not take large steps forward with your non-
operated leg.

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