It is important to look after your wound site following your surgery.
Discomfort
You will experience some soreness, tenderness, tingling, numbness, and itching around the incision especially for the first few days and it is likely that you will require pain relief to ease the discomfort
Swelling
Swelling is very variable and some patients can find it quite troublesome to for several weeks. Swelling around your hip will increase your pain and make your hip stiff. Try to avoid sitting for long periods of times. Allow yourself enough rest with your feet up on the bed throughout the day. You can use ice packs over the area of your hip to help control swelling as directed by your doctor or therapist. Your leg can get very bruised and this is often nothing to worry about and it will settle in due course.
Signs of infection
You must seek urgent medical advice from your doctor if you start to notice the following:
If the dressing is continuously leaking or saturated due to excessive bleeding
If the surrounding skin has become red and spreading outwards
If there is in an increase in pain or odour
A change in the size of the incision.
The dressing has moved and the wound is now visible
A yellow or green foul smelling discharge
If blisters develop around your surgery site.
References:
NHS, 2019, Is it better to have a bath or shower after surgery?, viewed 22 December 2020, link
The Royal College of Surgeons of England, 2020, What to expect after the operation. Viewed 23 December 2020, link