Most people do use a shower chair after hip replacement, at least for the first few weeks. It lets you wash sitting down, keeps you off a wet floor and helps you follow your hip precautions. Set the chair high enough that your hips stay ABOVE your knees when you sit.
When you can shower depends on your dressing. With a waterproof dressing, many teams allow a shower within a day or two. With a standard dressing, wait until your team says yes, often after the first wound check. No baths, hot tubs or pools until the wound has fully healed and your surgeon agrees, usually around 3 to 6 weeks.
A walk-in shower is much easier than a shower over a bath. If you only have a tub, use a transfer bench rather than stepping over the edge.
Your surgeon’s instructions come first. If they differ from anything here, use theirs.
When can I shower after hip replacement?
Timings vary between surgeons, mostly because of the dressing and how the wound was closed. This is the usual pattern.
- Days 1 to 2: with a waterproof dressing, a short shower is often allowed. Keep the stream of water off the dressing where you can.
- Before the wound check: with a standard dressing, sponge wash at the sink while sitting. Cover the dressing with a plastic sleeve only if your team says to.
- After the wound check: once stitches or clips are out, or the wound is dry and closed, normal showers are usually fine.
- Weeks 3 to 6: baths, hot tubs and pools usually wait until here, and only once the wound has fully healed. Getting down into a bath also breaks most hip precautions, so ask before you try.
Hip precautions in the shower
Hip precautions are movement limits that protect the new joint while the tissues around it heal. Which ones you have depends on your surgery, so follow the list your team gave you. In the shower, these are the ones that matter most. See hip replacement precautions
- Don’t bend past 90 degrees: reaching down to wash your feet or legs is the most common way people break this rule. Use a long-handled sponge instead.
- Don’t twist: turn your whole body with small steps, or turn on the seat, rather than twisting at the hips to reach the taps or a shelf.
- Keep your hips above your knees: a low stool folds the hip too far. Pick a chair with adjustable legs and set it so your thighs slope gently down. See sitting after hip replacement
- Don’t cross your legs: keep your knees apart when you sit to wash or dry off.
If you had an anterior approach, your team may give you fewer or different limits. See anterior vs posterior hip replacement
Bring the shower to your height, not your body down to the shower.
Walk-in shower or tub?
- Walk-in shower: the easiest option. Step in with your walker close, sit on the shower chair, and wash. A low or level threshold is best.
- Shower over a bath: use a tub transfer bench. Sit on the part outside the tub, then slide across and lift your legs in one at a time without bending too far forward. Stepping over a high tub edge in the early weeks risks both a fall and breaking your precautions.
- No walk-in shower at all: you don’t need to remodel the bathroom. A transfer bench, a handheld shower head and grab bars cover most homes. See how to prepare for hip replacement
How to shower after hip replacement
- Set up first: soap, shampoo, towel and clothes within easy reach, so you never bend or twist to grab them.
- Fit non-slip mats and grab bars: one mat in the shower and one where you step out. Never hold a towel rail for support.
- Use lukewarm water: hot water can make you dizzy, especially on pain medicine.
- Use a handheld shower head: it brings the water to you while you sit.
- Wash the wound gently: let soapy water run over it, then pat it dry. Don’t rub, and don’t apply creams until it has fully healed. See scar care after surgery
- Dress sitting down: use a long-handled sponge, a reacher and a sock aid so your feet come to you.
How long will I need a shower chair?
Many people use one for the first few weeks and stop once they can stand steadily on either leg and their precautions are lifted, often around 6 weeks. Some keep using it longer simply because it’s comfortable. There is no harm in that.
Go to the emergency department if
- You slip or fall and then have sudden, severe hip pain.
- Your operated leg looks shorter than the other one, or is turned in or out.
- You can’t put weight on the leg or move it after a fall.
These can be signs of a dislocation, where the ball of the new hip comes out of its socket. Don’t try to move the leg back yourself.
Call your surgeon today if
- The wound turns redder, or redness spreads out from the scar.
- The skin around the wound feels hot.
- The wound leaks fluid or starts to smell.
- You have a fever of 101°F (38.3°C) or higher, or chills.
Mention it at your next review if
- Getting in and out of the shower still feels unsafe after a few weeks.
- You want to know when your precautions end or when you can have a bath.
The shower itself is safe after hip replacement; bending, twisting and stepping over a tub edge are what put the new hip at risk.