Will shingles effect my father's recovery from a hip replacement operation?

Your dad needs to be seen by his doctor.

thank you for your responses.... I wasn't completely accurate in my description of the situation (sorry)... he had an outbreak of shingles 5 years ago, and while the actual physical signs of the virus are no longer there (his skin is clear), he still suffers from pain that I believe has become chronic. Maybe this is what you call "post shingles neuropathy"? (any advice on that? he is in pain almost every day, taking pretty serious pain meds...)

Are you talking about post shingles neuropathy?

He's had shingles for 5 years?
Are uou sure it's not psoriasis or something else?

Tamar, is this a consistent case of shingles, i.e., it never clears up, or has he been subject to repeated outbreaks?

I'm wondering if there's been a medical diagnosis that this is shingles, and if so, what could be making him so subject to such a long outbreak.

Even if he did have the surgery, the combined pain and discomfort would likely prolong the healing process. However, I don't know whether a rehab facility would accept him if he's in a contagious mode.

If he has active shingles, the surgery will be postponed. Notify the surgeon.