Joint replacement looks very different today than it did even a decade ago. With robotic assistance, muscle-sparing techniques, and personalized planning, recovery is more predictable and often faster. For patients considering surgery, understanding what happens from surgery day through full recovery can make the decision clearer and more confident. Here’s what patients can expect at each stage of recovery.
Phase 1: Pre-Surgery Planning (Weeks 1-4)
The initial phase is all about precision and preparation. Use of advanced technology like Mako SmartRobotics™ for both hip and knee replacements involves pre-operative CT-based planning to create a personalized 3D model of your joint. This planning helps with accuracy, optimizing implant sizing and placement before surgery day.
- Hip Replacement: For suitable patients, approaches like the Direct Anterior Approach (DAA) or the Bikini Incision technique are employed, which are muscle-sparing methods designed to reduce tissue damage and speed up recovery.
- Knee Replacement: The Mako system ensures the new implant aligns perfectly with the patient's unique kinematics.
This meticulous preparation shortens the time needed to return to activity.
Phase 2: Immediate Recovery (Days 1-14)
Modern joint replacement is dramatically different from a decade ago. Most patients are up and walking with assistance on the same day as surgery.
- Hospital Stay: Often, patients are discharged to recover at home on the same day of surgery. Now, few patients spend the night in the hospital.
- Pain Management: We utilize multimodal strategies (nerve blocks, non-opioid medication) to minimize discomfort, keeping you comfortable enough to focus on mobility.
- Activity: Focus is on simple, essential activities: walking, using the restroom, and light range-of-motion exercises.
The goal during this phase is to get you back home and comfortable, minimizing disruption to your life, allowing you to confidently look forward to the upcoming holiday season.
Phase 3: Regaining Independence (Weeks 3-8)
This is the key phase for rehabilitation and rebuilding strength. Physical therapy becomes a central component of the timeline, often starting within a week of surgery.
- Walking: Most patients transition from a walker to a cane, and eventually walk unassisted by the 3-4 week mark.
- Therapy Goals: Therapy focuses on increasing muscle activation, restoring the full range of motion, and ensuring safe navigation of daily life, including stairs.
- Returning to Driving: This is typically cleared around the two week mark, once you are off pain medication.
By the end of this phase, many patients are performing moderate daily activities and feel a substantial improvement in function.
Phase 4: Full Functional Strength (Months 3+)
While the initial milestones are quick, achieving peak strength and endurance takes time. This phase focuses on returning to more demanding activities, sports, and hobbies. Patients often find themselves enjoying activities they previously abandoned, from long walks to sports like golf or tennis. Full tissue healing and maximum strength return can take up to one year, but the benefits are felt almost immediately.
To determine how advanced techniques can shorten your recovery timeline and enable you to get back to enjoying life, book an appointment with Dr. Avino today.
AUTHOR: Robert J. Avino M.D. is a board-certified and fellowship-trained adult hip and knee reconstruction surgeon at Palm Beach Orthopaedic Institute. Dr. Avino specializes in robotic-assisted hip and knee replacement using the minimally invasive direct anterior approach to hip replacement, across Palm Beach County in South Florida.
