How Soon Can I Travel After Hip Replacement?

People frequently ask when they can travel after their hip replacement. The thing to remember is that it is typically not the hip that’s going to get in the way of the travel. The issue is that you are at a unique risk for things like blood clots or complications from surgery during the first six or eight weeks.

That’s why those first six or eight weeks are golden time. You should make sure that you’re dedicating that time to your recovery. Listen to your physical therapist and make sure that you are dealing with any other medical issues that might arise.

After six weeks, people can typically travel. We might recommend blood thinners for travel, for example, if you are planning to take intercontinental or transcontinental flights. This might be as simple as taking an aspirin, or we might suggest something more robust if you have a known history of blood clots.

We highly recommend that you discuss any travel plans with your surgeon prior to scheduling surgery.

Nicholas Mast MD is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon specializing in conditions of the hip and pelvis.

Trained in pelvic and acetabular trauma and reconstruction by some of the best in the field, his treatments range from non-replacement options for the management of hip osteoarthritis to complex revision surgeries and hip preservation techniques including periacetabular osteotomy.

He is the most experienced surgeon in the region in the use of the anterior approach for hip replacement and regularly uses this minimally invasive, fast recovery anterior approach to treat a wide variety of hip conditions.