You are in Living Better . He is expected to be hospitalized for five days. The hospital did not indicate whether this was a total or partial hip replacement. Three years ago, former first lady Barbara Bush had a successful total hip replacement surgery at the Mayo Clinic. Recovery typically involves three to four days in the hospital, followed by about six weeks on two crutches, says Hungerford.
Most patients then use one crutch or a walking stick for a couple of weeks.
President Bush's doctors will likely ask him not to sleep on the side of his replacement or cross his legs for the first six weeks following surgery. The most feared complications immediately after surgery are infection, which happens in between two in 100 and two in 1,000 patients, and blood clots, which are prevented in most cases by using blood thinners and compression stockings, says Hungerford. Long term, President Bush is likely to have no restrictions on the types of activities he can do. All rights reserved. AP contributed to this report.