Total Hip replacement 18 August foot on op side very swollen!

Bones, joints and muscles
1

I believe it's quite normal for your knees and feet to swell and is result of trauma from open but what's the best way to reduce swelling? Normally you would elevate but I've been told my knee should be lower than my hip! My toes are now rigid!

2

i am lucky as I have a bed with the ablity to raise the  foot end of my bed at the touch of a button and i sleep every night with my feet higher than my groin. NO swelling at all in my feet or knees.

 Ice packs may help reduce swelling and  gentle massage of your feet and legs by someone who loves you lots! At least 3 times a day will help a lot. Plunge your feet in to a bowl of pretty cold water and that shock will redice the swelling as will continued gentle mobilization. I am now 23 days post op. Good luck

3

Hi Pat ,

I had mine done 3months ago. And for more than 1,5 months my operated side from hip to toes were almost 2the size. It's very normal some get whole leg bruised, some swollen.  If I do too much I still get ankle and knee swelling. 

Karolina x

4

Ice and elevate ....just be careful ...its more about the angle of your hip joint...I was fine with my leg up on a stool and some frozen peas!!

5

Thanks for the suggestion! I am probably overdoing things by walking on it too much. If I sit I stiffen up I guess it's getting the balance right!!

6

You'll be fine to elevate your toes higher than your nose if you're lying down. Put a pile of pillows under your leg and rest for an hour every day for a while. My feet and ankles were elephantine for a couple of weeks but having had a rest they slowly went down. Even nine weeks on, if I've overdone it, my ankle swells and my leg feels tight. You won't dislocate your leg by raising it and supporting it and it will help drainage from the tissues.

7

Thanks for all of your experiences! I'm finding the forum really useful now I'm at home! Amazing how our bodies can react so differently! It was always going to be difficult for me to be patient but finding disruption to sleep especially hard. I seem to get 1·5 to 2 hours max at the moment before going walkabout/make a drink/move to a chair/back to bed etc. How long before I will feel more comfortable?

8

I was told in hospital it was fine to elevate if you are in bed or lying down 

9

Thanks Judiwoo. I'm mostly sitting in a chair with my legs on a pouffee!

10

Hi Pat,  I had my THR one day after you and this morning I woke up to a very swollen knee, so I think this is normal for us and I am going to take all the dvise you were given, ice, elevation and not to over do it.

Good Luck.  Lorraine.

11

For me elevation and ice packs and those white long surgery compression socks.  I even bought a second pair of the ugly things!  I wore my socks for the first 6 weeks and believe that it helped to control the swelling.  (Of course I kept them hidden with long skirts...Hee hee!...They are not exactly a fashion statment but they do the job!)  

My best wishes to you Pat!

Dawn

12

I wore the compression stockings as directed, forget how many weeks....

I didn't have much swelling/fluid build up but I have been taking a powerful antioxidant for almost 2 decades and it reduces any fluid build up...it's grape seed extract and it's a miracle in my life....addresses SO MANY health issues and body systems.....

It keeps our blood thin and "clean" so if one takes a drug blood thinner than don't do both. j

13

Thanks Lorraine. Keep in touch re your progress. Will be interesting to compare notes (though I realise we will all progress differently!) I hate the sleep deprivation! Limit to what you feel like doing in the middle of the night!!

14

Thanks Dawn. I seem to remember buying compression sox for my husband. No-one suggested them in hospital nor at doc's when I went for wound redress yesterday!!

15

I didn't have them either...had 28 days of Fragmin injections instead.....I had the pneumatic leg warmers in hospital too!!

16

I found Nytol helped with sleeping for the first few weeks especially on your back...just couldn't get used to it and then that awful heel pain...Its a like a distant memory now though and soon will be for you too!!

17

I had same! Now wearing sox and leg does feel better. I've suffered restless legs in the past and have experienced again last couple of nights.

18

May well try the Nytol!! Thanks

19

Hi Pat.

I had my THR in April and it my was swollen for around 2 months.

Yes it's quit normal for your knees and feet to be swollen mines did.

I rase my feet just a little to help with the blood flow.

Am now months into my pre op and find that i've to lift my op leg to raise it. It's still a bit heavy.

Good Luck.

20

Thanks, Carmen! It's very reassuring to know that this is a common experience.  How are you getting on with walking around, after 2 months?