A tour of Italy planned after hip replacement

I’ve had 2 knee and 1 hip replacements, in 2021, 22 and 23, and my experience was that the recovery from the hip replacement was the easiest, took me about 4 months with regular physiotherapy, Pilates and exercise. However, what this doesn’t consider is the shock to your body and how long it takes to really recover from that and the effect of the anaesthetic on your system. I did travel long-haul for a month about 3 months after my 2nd knee op, and I found it much harder than I expected. When I came back home I was exhausted for several weeks (there was only a 1-hour rime difference, so no jet lag). If I had a do-over, I’d have postponed the trip for six months to give all of my system a chance to recover, not just my hip. Unless you’ve had major operations before, you don’t know how your body will react to the experience, but I wish you luck and a good recovery- it’s a marvellous op, makes a huge difference!

My wife has had a knee replaced, and needs the other replaced now. She had a second foot operation last Summer and we went to Europe a couple of weeks after 8 weeks off her feet.

She has a high line folding electric personal scooter that we take everywhere. She rides it to the door of the plane and they put it underneath as baggage. The scooter runs faster than I can walk and has a 10 mile range so I cannot keep up with her in airports.

We leave 2/7/2025 for a 12 day repositioning cruise and were going to Budapest and Lisbon after that. It will be the fifth trip to Europe, one trip to Las Vegas and a trip to Alaska on the scooter. We just have to be careful to stay in places with elevators and close to public transportation that has elevators.

I had a hip replacement 12 years ago. My recovery took about 3 weeks until I was able to drive and walk fair distances. I was very religious in following post-surgical exercises, and I actually continue them every morning as they're excellent core exercises. I assume your surgeon uses the anterior approach; recovery is much faster than the alternative approaches.

You'll have some limitations, certainly, but two months should be ample recovery time for European travel, for most patients. Less than that could conceivably lead to discomfort and maybe limitations in enjoying the trip. Good luck!

Having had two knee replacements, and looking at hips too down the road a bit, my advice is to do lots of preventative exercises and conditioning specifically for hips…for a couple of months before your surgery .
I did this for my knees and my recovery time was weeks not months.
Not sure who told you 15 weeks is your time of recovery!
Hopefully not your ortho surgeon! Yikes.
It’s usually 6-8 weeks to get back to everyday living, driving, walking, etc., providing you are religious about your post op therapy.
As far as taking an active walking trip, that may be a wise thing to defer for slightly longer to be well rested.
Best of luck!

geovagriffith,
I had one knee replaced in Sept. 2022 and went on some shorter local (US trips 3 months afterward, and one month in France in May/June 2023, icluding the Dordogne. Lots of uphill walks in the Dordogne, and lots of walking around Paris. My new knee was pain-free and no trouble. That said, I was diligent with before and after exercises and physical therapy, and kept them up while traveling. My range of motion increased very rapidly due to the PT and exercise, so an 8-10 week recovery seems reasonable to me.

My other knee, which also needed replacing was a bit of a bother, but I had that replaced in Feb. 2024 and can say that both knees are pain-free. Diligence with the PT, etc. was vital. Two weeks after your surgery seems too soon, but two months seems very doable. I have heard hip replacement surgery has a quicker recovery period than knee surgery, but I would still stay home for three months, just so you can have any possible complications dealt with right away.
Best of luck for a pain-pfree and pleasant trip!

My doc said that I could go in six weeks to three months depending on my recovery. He said three months would be fine.
Originally, I had a tentative date 15 weeks prior to the trip, but that date has slipped and I think it may be two to three weeks later, so I should have 12-13 weeks.

I had both knees done within the last year. I had to travel at 4 weeks, I think it was, as my mom was dying. That was not super easy, but I managed and my husband was not with me to help. Then I traveled to Iceland and Amsterdam at 4 months in February (think ice etc in Iceland) and my knee was as perfect as it could be. The second one was done in March and while I didn't travel internationally until August, we did go to the OR coast and I was fine walking all over on the beach, going down the huge rocks to get from our rental house to the beach, and the steep trail down to the boulders. Getting as strong as you can before surgery, and then being very strict with doing the physical therapy is key. I was done using the cane at about 4 weeks both times.

I had both knees replaced and they felt great doing 24K steps a day on a France vacation (about 6 months after the surgery). However, the knees are just one part of the walking chain. My achilles tendons would get real sore and that started to limit my exercise/walking. Be sure to strengthen the whole chain before and after surgery. I now do regular achilles tendon and other leg exercises at the gym. No more problems. I am sure the same could happen with the hip.

I have been told by others that recovery from hip replacement is faster than from knee replacement.

There's no comparison. Hip replacement recovery is usually quick and easy; knees are an entirely different matter. I wish the Webmaster could remove the responses from knee patients, as they're irrelevant to the discussion.

I don't see that those posts are irrelevant. They show what the recovery time for those are, and the hip should be less, so it gives him an idea of what to expect.

I don't see that those posts are irrelevant. They show what the recovery time for those are, and the hip should be less, so it gives him an idea of what to expect.

Recovery time from open heart surgery is as relevant as that from knee replacement. In other words, not at all.

We are talking joint replacement. If you don't like the comments you can scroll on by.

We are talking joint replacement. If you don't like the comments you can scroll on by.

Or, people who haven't had hip replacement surgery can quit trying to predict recovery time based on their own knee replacements, thereby confusing the issue. New hips just aren't the same as new knees.

By the way, those of you who've had knee replacements? Hats off to you for your grit and determination. Much more difficult and painful rehab than us wimpy hip patients. (FTR: my offspring is an orthopedic surgeon. I've heard all the stories.)

More importantly I hope the Webmaster revisits his reminder regarding the tone of some replies in this thread, the Milan as home base thread, and any other relevant ones. Too many opinions offered as facts.

I’m sure you’re all familiar with this old song:

https://www.google.com/gasearch?q=the%20skeleton%20dance%20lyrics&source=sh/x/gs/m2/5#ebo=3

All our bones and joints are connected…..feet affect knees, knees affect hips, hips affect backs….etc.
It’s all relevant discussion here.