Hip Operations and travel.

It is not a case of recovering from the surgery it is a risk of dislocation postoperatively and it will only be 2 months since the surgery.

I would not sit on a seat on a plane because it is too low and how would you manage if you needed the loo because at that stage you should still be needing a raised toilet seat.

I am also not 100% certain if you would be insurable as the surgery is well under 3 months. Each company may have a specific time in mind. Good luck, I personally would stay at home.

That’s going to be 6/8 wks from surgery, bearing in mind everyone’s recovery is different going by my recovery I was back at work and driving at 6 wks with my first op and similar with second although retired by then. If your op goes well and you do your exercises religiously it should be fine. One thing though check your travel insurance carefully in case it has clauses about surgeries.

You can tell by our different responses it’s not a simple decision maybe ask your surgeons opinion too.

Who knows whether we'll be able to travel anywhere by then! However, Charleygirl says it for me. What she says chimes with my experience. I'm four months out from my hip replacement and it's gone very well indeed. I did no 'exercises' whatsoever but just walked. That's what I was advised to do and it's worked like magic. I'd have hesitated to fly after only two months but maybe you could get 'airport assistance'? Not sure if that's still available but worth checking out. Also maybe pay more for an extra legroom seat and take your own cushion to raise the height a bit.
Is it worth it for only a week though? You'll be fighting fit a few months later. Defer and go for longer?

For 6 weeks after the op you mustn’t bend or twist and you have to sit on a chair of a prescribed height with arms. You also need physio. I wouldn’t be planning a trip especially abroad.

There was absolutely no physio available after my op! Hips just need to be used. Getting up and down from chairs and walking about is all that's required. Introducing stairs as length of walk is increased unless you've got stairs at home in which case you just need to go up and down remembering 'up to heaven and down to hell' re you non operated and operated leg.

Aveline and I are in agreement. You should stay at home for a few more weeks.

Post my THR I was told no long haul flight for 3 months.
Think it depends on where you are going. Plus they are concerned about DVTs.

I had a new hip in the January and went abroad in the April. Not sure I’d have wanted to travel much before 12 weeks.

Thank you everyone for your responses. The messages from the medics are all very mixed (as are a few here!) but you've helped enormously and we have put our holiday back until the Autumn.

I think that is wise. I was certainly my in no fit state to travel so soon after the op but 6 months later I did an 8 hour flight and was fine.