Your recovery plan is based on your health care team's judgments about your needs:

• You will work with a physical therapist trained in rehabilitation. Your physical therapist and surgeon will prescribe a personal exercise program for you.
• An occupational therapist trained in special needs after hip replacement surgery may talk with you about your activities of daily living such as dressing, bathing and using the toilet. The occupational therapist may review the equipment you may need at home for these daily tasks.
• You and your nurse can decide how soon you can start to eat and drink and how long it will take you to return to your usual diet.
• You and your family members will do your personal daily care such as bathing, brushing your teeth and combing your hair.
• If you have drainage tubes placed, they will be taken out.
• You may use a toilet seat riser or commode to urinate or have a bowel movement. A commode is a chair set on wheels with an opening in the seat.
• Your surgical dressing is removed one or two days after surgery. You will get a lighter-weight dressing in its place.
• You may have blood samples taken.