4 weeks post operation, swelling and purplish toes
Posted , 12 users are following.
So... 24 years old broke my tibia and fibula with some torn ligaments. got the standard plate and screws. Luckliy since day 1 post surgery i havent had any pain besides the standard swelling when lowering my leg which i still dont find painful, more of an annoying feeling and the nerves on the top of my foot burn here and there. my question is when is my toe color supposed to return back to normal? i dont expect it to be right away but i was wondering if anyone had a rough guess? at 6 weeks im suppsed to get put into my boot for a month. i have school starting back up soon and i wont be able to elevate it nearly as often. any feedback helps! thanks
0 likes, 11 replies
melissa91009 Rit1993
Posted
Rit1993 melissa91009
Posted
I had a splint on for two weeks post surgery now I have a cast on. I've tried to do research on it.. but not many results. When it's elevated there's no color at at but when I'm on my crutches and my leg is completely down they are purplish. There's no pain just a little bit of a swelling feeling.
diane_41179 Rit1993
Posted
I am 14 weeks after my surgery. I am just now starting to bear weight on my ankle. As for swelling and the purple color that is very normal. I still have it going on myself and I can still feel my nerves trying to work. A lot of the discoloration is due to the original break and the blood trying to circulate properly through the broken area . I have a fantastic surgeon so I'm very lucky that he hasn't pushed me and he is making me take time to allow my body to heal. He said that the swelling will take some time as well as the discoloration. I could actually take up to a year before everything is back to normal.
sandra81957 Rit1993
Posted
Sorry to hear about your accident. Imy colour didn't ease for weeks. Had purple foot and toes for a long time. I'm 15 were since my fall and the only time my foot looks normal is first thing in the morning because my foot has been elevated all night. But within 10mins of being down the colour changes bright pink. Long haul ahead for all of us. Sx
Chestnut17 Rit1993
Posted
Wow that awesome you don't have a lot of pain. Do your toes go back to normal when you've elevated awhile and are they swollen at the same time? I'm 4 weeks post op this week and my toes still turn purple and I swell. I've got my foot up right now for a break cuz I've been up doing stuff all day.. I would recommend a scooter if you don't have one. You can put your foot on that while you're in class and get around a heck of a lot easier. Massage your feet to promote circulation when you can. I find Motrin helps with inflammation. Good luck to you, welcome to ankle problems
Rit1993 Chestnut17
Posted
As soon as I elevate my foot it goes immediately back to normal, the only time it changes color is when I have it down. Like I said I'm not too too worried since I'm still in the early stages only being almost 4 weeks out of surgery... but I was just curious since they sent very pink, they are a little darker. But I have full feeling in them and can move them fine
deepus4u Rit1993
Posted
Hi, I had bimalleolar fracture and ligament damaged and had surgery 10 weeks ago. I'm in my boot now and able to walk with boot but still get swelling and purple/pink colour. Elevation and ice helps. It's not as bad as before and is definitely getting better. I think it is normal and I have checked with my physio about the purple colour who said it's normal.
Please hang in there and have patience as you see changes every day when you are in boot and you will be surprised. I am able to walk with out crutches in my boot (not normally though) with bit of limping. My physio therapist has asked me to practice without boot at home.
Elevation and ice would help but it will definitely get better and I can say at 10 weeks now and I only elevate once since waking up in the morning that is in the afternoon for an hour or so And only using ice pack at bed time.
Good luck and hope you have a speedy recovery
Sazza47 deepus4u
Posted
hi there i had bimalloer surgery 3wks ago so i have another cast on for 3 more weeks, does the heaviness soon ease? when i stand to move on my crutches it feels like blood gushes to my foot and it goes purplish i hate it, also did you have any heel pain whilst in your cast ? Thank you
raemond29660 Sazza47
Posted
I also am experiencing pain in my heel it feels numb and burning. My toes are also turning purple and splotchy color of normal and purple I have it elevated with a nice post operation pillow. i was ran over by a car, actually excuse me a Toyota forerunner, broke my fibula tibia broke the tibia multiple times and broke my fibula multiple times and in two days it’ll be four weeks exactly since the accident. Definitely the worst pain that I’ve ever felt in my life and I feel for all that has gone through this. But I believe I’m getting better every day
mullanbr2002 Rit1993
Posted
Thank you all for this info
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Cmyers9 Rit1993
Edited
Hi All!
It looks like this is a pretty old thread but thought I would chime in in case others are searching for an answer to this question later.
I am not a doctor but after a flat foot reconstruction surgery on both feet, I feel I may know more than the average person!
My understanding is that discoloration of skin could point in the direction of things related to circulation. I would venture a guess that if toes are purple consistently and they don’t resume their natural color it could have to do with the cast being too tight and not allowing for natural circulation (or some other issue that needs immediate attention)... which would also be quite uncomfortable, so I think you would know!
In regards to toes turning purple when the casted foot is down, my understanding is that is completely normal. I believe that the action of walking in a normal, healthy foot causes the foot and calf muscles to push blood back up the leg towards the heart. Obviously, that is not happening with a casted foot. I also understand that veins contain smooth muscle in their walls and they also assist with pushing blood back to the heart. I imagine all of this (and more) is temporarily disrupted with an injury and a limb that’s not moving in the usual way.
I have had the uncomfortable sensation where I feel like blood is rushing down to my casted foot when it is down when I am on a knee scooter and it feels like my foot is swelling quickly. This is when I notice my toes turning more of a purpleish hue. This experience seems to diminish the more my foot heals. I have just found it to be very important to listen to my discomfort and elevate my foot above my heart level when it becomes too uncomfortable. I have also learned that elevating the foot above heart level for at least two weeks post injury or surgery as much as possible is important for healing. (I have also read for three weeks and other interpretations of the timeline.) Once out of a cast, for my particular surgery, I learned that compression socks are important to help circulation.
Again, I am not a doctor, so it would be best to ask yours to be sure, but hope this can point someone in the right direction in the meantime!