Medical Health Encyclopedia

Many surgeons place their patients on blood thinners for several weeks after surgery to help prevent blood clots. These may be taken in the form of pills (either coumadin or aspirin) or injections.

SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS

The new joint has a limited range of movement. You will need to take special precautions to avoid displacing the joint, including:

• Avoid crossing your legs or ankles even when sitting, standing, or lying.
• When sitting, keep you feet about 6 inches apart.
• When sitting, keep your knees below the level of your hips. Avoid chairs that are too low. You may sit on a pillow to keep your hips higher than your knees.
• When getting up from a chair, slide toward the edge of the chair and then use your walker or crutches for support.
• Avoid bending over at the waist. You may consider purchasing a long-handled shoehorn or a sock aid to help you put on and take off your shoes and socks without bending over. Also, an extension "reacher" or "grabber" may be helpful for picking up objects that are too low for you to reach.
• When lying in bed, place a pillow between your legs to keep the joint in proper alignment.
• A special abductor pillow or splint may be used to keep the hip in correct alignment.
• An elevated toilet seat may be necessary to keep the knees lower than the hips when sitting on the toilet.