How to Renew Intimacy After Hip Replacement

When Can You Safely Resume Sexual Intimacy after a Hip Replacement?

After a hip replacement, one of the more common questions that we get at the Kennedy Center is when you can safely resume sexual intimacy.

Renewing intimacy after a hip replacement with your partner can seem daunting. You might be concerned about pain or even dislocating your hip during intercourse and may wonder if your sexual relationship will ever be the same. Here are some ways to deal with these concerns and bring the spark back into the bedroom.

Practice Safe Sexual Positions After Hip Surgery

We recommend that patients wait 3 to 4 weeks before resuming sexual activity, but we always remind patients that pain should be their guide. If something hurts, don’t do it. However, if you and your partner are ready, here is a general guideline of safe sexual positions after hip surgery to keep you comfortable and your joint safe from injury.

• Don’t bend the leg with the joint replacement more than 90 degrees at the hip.
• When lying on your back, avoid turning or rolling the leg with the replacement.
• Don’t turn your toes inward on the leg with the joint replacement.
• If you are lying on your side, make sure you have pillows between your legs. We recommend the pillow runs the length of your knees to your feet. Don’t let the toes on your joint replacement leg turn downward.

Safest Sexual Positions After Hip Surgery

The following are the safest sexual positions after hip surgery for men and women.

1. Back – Lying Position

Place one or two pillows under your thigh on the affected leg. Keep your toes on the leg with the joint replacement pointed up and slightly out – never inward.

2. Side – Lying Position

When getting into position, do not lie on the side with the hip replacement. Lie on the alternative leg. Place enough pillows between your legs to support the leg with the hip replacement. You and your partner should both be facing the same direction. Make sure the affected leg doesn’t fall off the pillows during intercourse. Your partner should assume the “spooning” position behind you. Don’t bend the hip with your joint replacement more than 90 degrees and don’t let the toes of your affected leg turn downward.

3. Top – This position is safe for men only.

Don’t bend your new hip joint more than 90 degrees while getting into position. Keep your affected leg out to the side with your toes pointed slightly outward. Women should not attempt being on the top position as it will require you to bend more than 90 degrees at the hip and could cause injury. We recommend this restriction until a full recovery has been reached.

Potential Injury that Can Occur During Intercourse

If you’ve made the decision to be intimate again, you should be aware of the potential injury. Extreme stress on the hip joint, especially after a hip replacement, can lead to a potential dislocation. This can be heightened by how you position yourself during intercourse. Be sure to read the above guide several times and make sure you understand the positioning before ‘getting in the mood’.

If you dislocate your hip during sexual intercourse, you will experience pain, your affected leg will appear shorter and your foot will turn inward. If this happens, lie down, don’t move and ask your partner to call an ambulance.

Important Reminders

Before you have sex after hip surgery:

• Make sure you’ve waited the recommended 3 to 4 weeks
• Have followed your doctor’s orders for a healthy recovery
• Have reviewed the above guidelines for safe sexual positions
• Keep in mind that a return to normal sexual activities will take time and require you to adjust until then
• Remember, a full recovery from hip surgery can take 6 to 12 months, so be patient.

Do you have more questions about your recovery from hip surgery? Give us a call at 800-322-2141 or visit our website.