• Reference Number: HEY1589/2025
• Departments:
• Last Updated: 31 August 2025

Introduction

This leaflet has been produced to give you general information. Most of your questions should be answered by this leaflet. It is not intended to replace the discussion between you and the healthcare team but may act as a starting point for discussion. If after reading it you have any concerns or require further explanation, please discuss this with a member of the healthcare team.

What is Arthroplasty?

Arthroplasty is the surgical reconstruction or replacement of a joint. The causes for joint replacements can vary between patients, however the more common causes can be; osteoarthritis (degenerative loss of cartilage at the joint), trauma (falls etc.) or infection within the joint. Arthroplasty involves the removal of the original joint and replacing it with artificial components, with the aim to increase quality of movement and improve pain symptoms.

Your journey so far…

Up to this point, you will have had a short stay in hospital for your surgery. Your walking was progressed to the point where you were assessed as being safe to cope on discharge, completing the stairs if required. The therapy team will have discussed returning home and provided you with appropriate exercises to be completing at home.

Continuation of recovery following discharge from the hospital

Once you have been discharged from hospital, it is important to continue with your provided exercises. It is also vital to find the balance between rest and exercise, using ice and elevation as appropriate to manage pain and swelling. Ensuring the correct use of pain killers to allow you to complete your exercises.

Mobility Progression

When you leave the hospital, you will be walking using two walking sticks or elbow crutches. When progressing, we advise to attempt walking with just one walking stick or crutch in the hand opposite to the operated leg. If when walking, you are limping, continue with two walking aids until you can use one without limping.

Exercises

Exercises are a key part of your rehab when leaving the hospital and vital in the return to improved function. Currently, you will have completed a collection of exercises before and after your surgery. On discharge from the ward you will have had markers assessed which indicate your progression following surgery and guide your progression with exercises.

Returning to driving

Information regarding driving is provided as advice by the Royal College of Surgeons and agreed by our orthopaedic team. Driving should be avoided for the first six weeks and only essential journeys made as a passenger in the first 3 weeks post-op.

When eventually returning to driving, it is important you are free of distracting pain or any sedative type pain relief. Additionally, you should be able to maintain a prolonged comfortable driving position, ensuring full control of the vehicle and the ability to safely perform an emergency stop.

After total joint replacement, you do not need to notify the DVLA unless instructed to do so by your doctor; however, it is important to follow your doctor’s advice about driving.

For further information please visit https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/patient-care/recovering-from-surgery/ and choose the appropriate surgery for yourself.

What is a Patient-Initiated Follow-Up (PIFU) pathway?

A patient-initiated follow-up (PIFU) means that we will not routinely book you an appointment, instead we are putting you in control of making your own appointments at a time when you need them most, within a given timeframe.

How does PIFU work?

You will have been identified by your healthcare professional that a PIFU pathway is suitable for you. You will then have access to the PIFU pathway for up to 12 weeks following the date of your surgery. If you require an appointment within this time frame, you can contact the Physiotherapy department, explain that you are on a PIFU pathway and need to be seen, and a suitable appointment will be made with a Physiotherapist. Your appointment may be on the telephone, a video call or face-to-face if the Physiotherapist needs to see you in person.

When should I call for a PIFU?

You can call to make an appointment if:

• Pain and/or swelling significantly increases or worsens.
• You have a decrease in the range of movement of the operated joint.
• You can no longer fully weight bear.
• You are struggling to return to daily functional tasks.

Please note, you can only initiate a PIFU appointment for the specific injury/condition you were originally referred to the Physiotherapy service for. If we do not hear from you before your follow up with your consultant’s team, we will assume that you no longer require any further intervention and will be discharged from the PIFU pathway.

When should I not use PIFU?

• If your concern is related to different injury/condition
• If the specified time period has lapsed, please contact your GP.
• If you need urgent medical advice, you should contact your GP or NHS111.

What if I don’t need a PIFU follow-up appointment?

You do not have to arrange an appointment if you feel it is not required. If you don’t contact us to book an appointment within the specified timeframe, the PIFU will expire, and you will be discharged back to the care of your GP.

We will not contact you to book a PIFU appointment – it must be initiated by you.

Should you require further advice on the issues contained in this leaflet, please do not hesitate to contact the Physiotherapy Department on telephone: 01482-608939.

General Advice and Consent

Most of your questions should have been answered by this leaflet but remember that this is only a starting point for discussion with the healthcare team.

Consent to Treatment

Before any doctor, nurse or therapist examines or treats you, they must seek your consent or permission. In order to make a decision, you need to have information from health professionals about the treatment or investigation which is being offered to you. You should always ask them more questions if you do not understand or if you want more information.

The information you receive should be about your condition, the alternatives available to you, and whether it carries risks as well as the benefits. What is important is that your consent is genuine or valid. That means:

• you must be able to give your consent
• you must be given enough information to enable you to make a decision
• you must be acting under your own free will and not under the strong influence of another person

Your feedback matters to us…

To ensure we deliver a safe and quality service and to help us understand the experience you have of the care you receive from our staff we would value your thoughts about the service you received.

You may be contacted as part of our quality assurance programme which is where we visit our teams and staff and talk to them about the care they provide to our patients or at any time during or after you have needed our services.

To collect this feedback, we would contact you using the registered telephone number we hold in your care record. This feedback will be strictly anonymous and whilst we will share the feedback as part of the process, we will not share any details which may identify you.

We will never ask you any personal questions about your health during these telephone calls.

If you do not wish to speak to us, please say this when we call, we do not want you to feel pressured.

Information about you

We collect and use your information to provide you with care and treatment.  As part of your care, your information will be shared between members of the healthcare team, some of whom you may not meet.  Your information may also be used to help train staff, to check the quality of our care, to manage and plan the health service and to help with research.  Wherever possible we use anonymous data.

We may pass on relevant information to other health or social organisations that provide you with care.  All information is treated as strictly confidential and is not given to anyone who does not need it.  If you have any concerns please ask your doctor, or the person caring for you.

Under the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018 we are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any information we hold about you. For further information visit the following page: Confidential Information about You. www.hey.nhs.uk/privacy/data-protection

If you or your carer needs information about your health and wellbeing and about your care and treatment in a different format, such as large print, braille or audio, due to disability, impairment or sensory loss, please advise a member of staff and this can be arranged.

General Advice and Consent

Most of your questions should have been answered by this leaflet, but remember that this is only a starting point for discussion with the healthcare team.

Consent to treatment

Before any doctor, nurse or therapist examines or treats you, they must seek your consent or permission. In order to make a decision, you need to have information from health professionals about the treatment or investigation which is being offered to you. You should always ask them more questions if you do not understand or if you want more information.

The information you receive should be about your condition, the alternatives available to you, and whether it carries risks as well as the benefits. What is important is that your consent is genuine or valid. That means:

• you must be able to give your consent
• you must be given enough information to enable you to make a decision
• you must be acting under your own free will and not under the strong influence of another person

Information about you

We collect and use your information to provide you with care and treatment. As part of your care, information about you will be shared between members of a healthcare team, some of whom you may not meet. Your information may also be used to help train staff, to check the quality of our care, to manage and plan the health service, and to help with research. Wherever possible we use anonymous data.

We may pass on relevant information to other health organisations that provide you with care. All information is treated as strictly confidential and is not given to anyone who does not need it. If you have any concerns please ask your doctor, or the person caring for you.

Under the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018 we are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any information we hold about you. For further information visit the following page: Confidential Information about You.

If you or your carer needs information about your health and wellbeing and about your care and treatment in a different format, such as large print, braille or audio, due to disability, impairment or sensory loss, please advise a member of staff and this can be arranged.