Total Hip Replacement: The Questions Patients Actually Ask — Answered by Physicians
Total Hip Replacement generates some of the most repetitive phone calls in any orthopedics practice: hip precautions, bending to tie shoes, sleeping positions, and return-to-driving timing. PrepQ, a patient-education platform built by physicians and operated by PrepQ LLC, maintains 54 physician-written answers about total hip replacement as part of a library of more than 7,500 answers covering 700-plus procedures across 14 specialties. Practices that subscribe to PrepQ give their patients a dedicated phone number to text or call at any hour, and the platform replies instantly with content the practice's own clinicians have reviewed and approved in advance. Questions outside the approved library are referred back to the office, and any message that suggests urgent symptoms is directed to 911 or the practice instead of being answered by software. The result: patients arrive prepared, day-of cancellations drop, and staff stop repeating the same total hip replacement instructions dozens of times a week.
Real total hip replacement questions from our physician-reviewed library
A sample of the 54 total hip replacement answers in PrepQ's library. Before any practice goes live, its own clinicians review and approve every answer — and can customize each one to their protocols.
Can I bend over to tie my shoes after hip replacement?
With posterior approach precautions, bending forward past 90 degrees is restricted initially to prevent dislocation, so conventional shoe tying is off limits for 6 to 12 weeks. Use elastic laces, slip-on shoes, or a long-handled shoe horn and sock aid. With the anterior approach, restrictions are usually more lenient — ask your surgeon. Once precautions are lifted, normal bending resumes gradually as strength and confidence return.
Can I climb stairs after hip replacement?
Yes — your physical therapist will practice stairs with you before discharge. The safe technique is "up with the good, down with the bad": lead with the non-operated leg going up, and lead with the operated leg going down, using the handrail for support. Most patients manage stairs within a day or two of surgery. If possible, arrange to avoid stairs or minimize their use in the first 1 to 2 weeks.
Can I cross my legs after hip replacement?
If you have a posterior approach hip replacement with standard precautions, crossing your legs is typically restricted for the first 6 to 12 weeks because it risks dislocation. With anterior approach hip replacement, many surgeons do not restrict leg crossing. Follow your specific surgeon's instructions. As the hip capsule heals, restrictions are usually lifted at the 6 to 12 week follow-up. Your PT will remind you of these precautions regularly.
Can I go home the same day as my hip replacement?
Yes — outpatient hip replacement is now common and safe for many patients. Patients who go home same-day tend to have strong support at home, good baseline health, and live within a reasonable distance of the hospital. Those with significant medical conditions, who live alone, or who need more PT to safely navigate their home may stay one night. Your surgical team will make this determination based on your specific situation.
Can I have both hips replaced at the same time?
Simultaneous bilateral hip replacement is occasionally done but carries significantly higher risk than staged surgery, including greater blood loss, cardiac stress, and longer hospitalization. Staged surgery (one hip at a time, 3 to 6 months apart) is the safer, more common approach. Your surgeon will assess your overall health and need to determine if simultaneous replacement is appropriate.
Do I need antibiotics before dental work after hip replacement?
Antibiotic prophylaxis before dental procedures has historically been recommended to prevent bacteria from reaching the implant. Current guidelines from the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons recommend discussing this with both your orthopedic surgeon and dentist. The decision is individualized based on your immune status, time since surgery, and type of dental work. Always inform your dentist you have a joint replacement before any dental procedure.
Do you have information about Deciding to have knee or hip replacement
This topic covers the general process of weighing whether knee or hip replacement is the right step. It often involves thinking about symptoms, daily life, and the available options together with a provider. The choice is personal and made with a care team, who can explain what each path involves.
Do you have information about Hip Replacement
Hip replacement is a general term for surgery that replaces a damaged or worn hip joint with an artificial one. It is one option some people consider when hip problems affect daily life. Whether it fits a particular situation is a decision made with a provider, who can explain what it involves.
Do you have information about Hip replacement - discharge
Hip replacement discharge refers to the general guidance given when a person leaves the hospital after hip replacement surgery. This often covers activity, comfort, movement, and follow-up care during recovery. Plans are tailored to each person, so the care team is the best source for specific instructions.
Do you have information about Minimally invasive hip replacement
Minimally invasive hip replacement is a general term for hip replacement done through smaller cuts than the traditional approach. The goal is to replace a worn hip joint while limiting how much tissue is disturbed. Whether this approach suits a given person is a decision made with a provider, who can walk through the details.
Your staff answers these 54 questions by phone. PrepQ answers them by text, instantly.
PrepQ gives your orthopedics practice a dedicated number patients text or call 24/7. Physician-written answers, approved by your doctors, delivered in English and Spanish — with urgent messages escalated to your office or 911, never improvised. HIPAA-compliant, BAA provided, no EHR integration required.