Common Questions of Warwickshire Hip & Knee Clinic

The most common complications of hip replacement are infection, in less than 1% of patients, dislocation in up to 3% of cases, and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) that occur in 0.6% to 3% of patients.

The most frequent complications of knee replacement are infection of the joint, which occurs in 1% of patients, deep vein thrombosis that occurs in up to 15% of patients and is symptomatic in 2–3% and pulmonary embolism that occurs in 0.6% to 3% of patients.

The risk of these complications occurring is influenced by a variety of factors such as age, weight, co-morbidities or complexity and duration of the operation.

During the consultation I shall take the time to talk to you about these complications and to inform you about the measures I intend to take to minimize the risk of these occurring.

Your first port of call should be the ward or the outpatient department at the hospital where you had your surgery where an experienced nurse will assess you and your wound and, if necessary, will get in touch with me.

Unless you develop high fever, above 38° C, it is very important that you avoid taking any antibiotics before we have had the opportunity to check your bloods and sometimes aspirate the joint in order to confirm a diagnosis of infection.

Many surgical wounds will look inflamed for a few weeks after the operation was performed. 

You are expected to spend between 1 and 3 nights in hospital after a primary hip or knee replacement. You are likely to stay a bit longer if you have both hips or knees done at the same time or if you undergo revision surgery.

We aim to get you back on your feet on the same day of your operation. This has many advantages not only psychological but also reduces the risk of some of the most serious postoperative complications such as DVT and PE.

The expectation is that you’ll be able to drive your car at between 4 and 6 weeks after your operation. This will depend on several factors such as the speed of your recovery, whether you drive an automatic car or what side hip or knee did I replace. The final test you need to clear, that you should practice on a stationary car, is whether you can perform an emergency brake. If in doubt and I was not available, you should check with your physiotherapist.

If you are in a physical job requiring standing, walking, climbing stairs, bending and/ or squatting, you should take 3 months off work.

In most cases, you should be able to go back to office jobs as soon as you can drive your car to and from work.

You should wait for a minimum of 6 weeks after your operation before you travel by plane. Matters such as the duration of the flight, the leg room available and your co-morbidities are relevant issues to discuss with me or with your GP before you get your tickets.

The simple answer is YES for most sports. I expect that after a successful operation, whether it is a hip or a knee, you will be able to go back to jogging, cycling, swimming, tennis and even return to more technically demanding sports such as skiing, provided you were a competent skier before your surgery.

These are AVIVA, AXA, BUPA, CIGNA, CS Healthcare, Exeter Family Friendly, Police Healthcare Scheme, Vitality Health and WPA.