1. Chest symptoms or sudden trouble breathing
Call 911 for sudden shortness of breath, chest pain, collapse or other symptoms suggesting an emergency. Do not wait to see whether the next pain dose helps, and do not rely on a portal message. A blood clot traveling to the lungs is one possible serious concern after surgery, although other causes also need urgent evaluation. Keep your operation details and medication list available for emergency clinicians. If someone is helping you at home, make sure they know the emergency plan before discharge.
Sources: Total Hip Replacement
2. New one-sided calf or leg swelling
Contact the treating team promptly for a new pattern of calf pain, tenderness or swelling, especially when it differs from the expected postoperative pattern described to you. The team may need to assess for a blood clot or another cause. Appearance alone cannot settle that question at home. If this occurs with breathlessness or chest pain, use emergency services. Continue prescribed prevention measures according to your instructions, but do not assume taking a preventive medicine makes a new symptom unimportant.
Sources: Total Hip Replacement
3. A wound that is changing in the wrong direction
Report increasing drainage, spreading redness, new opening or other concerning wound changes according to the surgical team's instructions. Fever or feeling systemically unwell adds urgency. Ask before surgery who can assess a wound outside office hours and whether photos are useful. A photo can help communication but cannot rule out infection. Avoid applying unapproved products or taking leftover antibiotics to hide the problem. Give the team the timeline, the change you noticed and any relevant temperature readings.
Sources: Total Hip Replacement
4. Pain that abruptly worsens or changes character
A sudden change after a fall, twist or ordinary movement needs assessment, particularly if you cannot bear weight or use the limb as instructed. Do not force the joint to test whether it is still working. New severe pain may have several explanations; the important step is to contact the appropriate clinical service. Describe the event, location and functional change, and follow urgent-care advice. For an obvious deformity, a cold or pale foot, or severe symptoms after injury, seek emergency assessment.
Sources: Total Hip Replacement
5. New numbness, weakness or circulation changes
Tell the team promptly about new or progressive loss of feeling or strength rather than assuming it is part of routine swelling. A cold, pale or unusually discolored limb or a sudden major movement problem needs urgent assessment. If a regional anesthetic was used, you should receive instructions about the expected course and what change warrants a call. Compare the symptom with those instructions, not with another patient's experience. Avoid walking unaided if sensation or control is unreliable.
Sources: Total Hip Replacement
6. Medication effects that make recovery unsafe
Seek help if the pain plan leaves you excessively sleepy, confused, unable to keep down fluids, or unable to move safely. Slow or difficult breathing, inability to wake normally, or severe allergic symptoms are emergencies. For less urgent unwanted effects, ask the team how to adjust the plan rather than combining medicines or stopping an essential prescription independently. Bring the actual medicine names and timing to the call. A useful pain plan supports necessary activity while minimizing problems that could make home recovery unsafe.
Sources: All Opioid Pain Medicines: FDA Updates Prescribing Information to Provide Additional Guidance for Safe Use · Anaphylaxis
7. Stiffness or function that is falling behind the agreed plan
Report a plateau or decline at the review point your team sets, even if it does not feel like an emergency. A stiff knee replacement may need assessment for its cause before a change in rehabilitation or a procedure is considered. Keep a record of the tasks and motion your clinician asks you to follow, and say if pain, transport or another barrier prevents therapy. The goal is early, useful reassessment rather than comparison with someone else's recovery. Our related guides explain questions about persistent pain and stiffness in greater depth.
Sources: Manipulation Under Anesthesia After Total Knee Replacement
Make the most of your visit
Questions to bring to your consultation
Choose the questions that matter most to you. Bring them along, and ask us to explain anything that is unclear.
- Which swelling and pain patterns do you expect in my case?
- Which symptoms should prompt emergency services?
- Whom do I call about wound changes after hours?
- What change in calf swelling requires assessment?
- What are the instructions for numbness after my anesthetic?
- Which medicine effects should trigger a call?
- When should a plateau in motion or function be reviewed?
Sources & further reading
- Total Hip ReplacementAmerican Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
- Manipulation Under Anesthesia After Total Knee ReplacementAmerican Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
- All Opioid Pain Medicines: FDA Updates Prescribing Information to Provide Additional Guidance for Safe UseU.S. Food and Drug Administration · Published April 13, 2023
- AnaphylaxisNational Health Service
We use these medical sources to help explain your options and prepare you for a conversation with our team. Our guides feature our own clinicians; patient reviews describe individual experiences.
