How To Prepare For a Hip Arthroscopy

I was nervous going into my hip surgery. I had never had orthopedic surgery. The only comfort I felt was that it couldn’t be worse than the feeling of my labrum tearing. I didn’t know where to begin when preparing for this surgery. After searching the internet, I found a few ways to prepare. I put them all together creating a plan for after I got home from the hospital. So here is a compiled list of how to prepare for your hip arthroscopy.

• Strengthen Your Arms

I thought of this on my own ahead of time. I stopped working out due to my hip and suddenly I realized I’d be dependent on crutches. I struggle with balance already. I figured I better give myself a good two weeks of arm training before I was stranded and stuck to my bed.

• Plan Out Your Space

I needed to move to a different floor before surgery. Hopefully, you’ll discuss your living situations with a physical therapist beforehand. They talked about toilet height, steps into the house, and bed style. They had a lot of insight into how to use my space to the best of my ability when I would be struggling with mobility.

• Surround Yourself With What You Need

The first week was pretty tough for me. I couldn’t roll over in bed by myself. I needed help with a fair amount of activities. When my support system went back to work, I relied on having things within reach to use them. Especially since the crutches won’t allow you to hold very much.

• Prepare For the Worst Hope For The Best

I went into surgery not expecting to do anything for several weeks. Much to my surprise, I was walking a lot faster than I anticipated. I felt proud and very excited. I don’t think I would have been nearly as happy if I didn’t anticipate being out for so long. It also won’t be discouraging if you do need more time.

• Plan For Physical Therapy

I wouldn’t have gotten through this without the help of my physical therapist. It’s been so helpful to have someone so hands on. I have hit a lot of milestones quickly. This is all because I was diligent about doing physical therapy. I went into surgery with a plan of attack on how and when I would get it done.

• Encourage Yourself

There will be setbacks. I can’t tell you how many times I’d make progress and then end up regressing. You’re playing the long game and short term gains that end with further injury are not what you want. You have to be able to trust that it’s going to be okay because it will be.

• Be Truthful With Your Care Team

Don’t sugarcoat anything with your care team. If you’ve fallen out of protocol or are hurting, be upfront. I struggled to reach out when I was having intense pain but I am so glad I did. I got reassurance and a lot of guidance on how to proceed. They were helpful and I trusted their opinions moving forward. Without those calls, I don’t think I’d be as far as I am.

• Listen to Your Body

It’s inconvenient to listen to your body. For me, it meant taking a step back. I would work extremely hard and then need four days off. I felt lazy taking all this time but my body needed it. This surgery may be minimally invasive but it’s no joke. Overuse and making things worse is possible if you aren’t mindful about your situation.

I hope that this helped you prepare for your hip arthroscopy. It’s an interesting process to go through but it all turns out great. I am running again and in great shape only five months post surgery. Keep your head up, it’s going to work out. You’ll be back to your life in no time.