Am looking for advice

Posted , 6 users are following.

Following a road accident 11 months ago (I was hit by a car whilst out running) the biggest trauma was to my ankles. One is pinned and plated and is healing well, the other has now reached a stage where I need either fusion or TAR. I understand from my consultant that I am a good candidate for both. He is favouring fusion because of my active lifestyle and my age (I am under 50) but I am very anxious about that route.

Mobility matters most to me and I have no wish to further aggravate other areas of my body which are feeling the strain already of an uneven gait (knee, foot and now my back)

Does anyone have experienceof these surgeries to share with me? 

 

1 like, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • Posted

    Hi laura32963

    I was given the a similar inital response with regard to my ankle. I had a full ankle replacement in May of this year and whilst the healing and rehabilitation has been and is slow I am making excellent progress and the range of movement that I now have is 30% great than it was pre-surgery I am not without pain and the pain is very different to that which I endured for a good five years on and off prior to the surgical solution. I was originally told that I was too young to even b considered for an ankle replacement that was when I was 47. However in my case the problems just got steadily worse I did try cautisone injections but they made it worse. 

    I took about two years to go into the pros and the cons of fusion v replacement. For me and what I do professionally having a fusion made no sense - in that I was told that I would not loose or gain much more movement than I already had (which was very little) so for me a fusion made no sense. I know that (in my case) I will never be able to run again, or dance, contact sports are out and any high impact movements. However I will be able to walk without pain for more than ten minutes and stand for more than ten minutes without wobbling. I know each case will be different. I was also lucky in that I beleive the surgeon that I had is one of the few in the UK that regualry does such surgry infact I beleive he's one if not the leading ankle replacement surgeon. I know that they say the replacement will only last a limited amount of time but new advacements are happening all the time and I'm confident by the time my joint needs repair (if it does) then there will be a way of replacing for repairing. I do recommned the full replacement. I now have to deal with and corret the referral pains etc in my back and hip due to my original ankle problems with a stable ankle this is becoming easier to deal with.

    I hope this helps. What I would say is ask questions, keep asking questions and if you dont get satisfactory answers remember its your right to able to seek a second opinon 

    • Posted

      Hello Lucy53675

      Thank you for this - you have voiced how I feel!

      My surgeon is trying to push me towards fusion (with a view to TAR further down the line if required) but, like you, I feel that TAR is the right solution for me. Struggling as I live in the Middle East with limited resources. Although my ankle surgeon has good experience in performing ankle replacements, he is keen for me to get a second opinion but  it seems impossible to get anyone from UK to talk with me because I live and work overseas. Do you have any recommendations of whom may be worth trying to contact?

      Many thanks!

       

  • Posted

    Hi Laura,

    i can't understand why your consultant favours fusion which I have understood is a last resort esp. if you are active. I am 58 and had a TAR 8 weeks ago. I am already walking without crutches a lot of the time and not much pain. The mobility in the ankle is good - almost the same as the other ankle except in respect to pointing my toes which is markedly different but I think this will improve.

    With regard to surgeons, I believe there are a very many good ones. So many people talk of the 'best' surgeon for ankle replacements but we generally don't have a choice in this. In any case, they all have to learn and they do so with the most experienced. My surgeon does not hold this 'best' status but I seem to have had the best experience amongst the people who blog here.

    Good luck and best wishes to you. Sorry for your accident 😞. I recommend you do a lot of research and talk to people who have had a fusion before you make any decisions.

     

    • Posted

      I have recently met 2 people with fusion who are coping well but their mobility is somewhat restricted and they have stress pain in other parts of their bodywhich are compensating for their uneven gait.

      I agree mobility matters and TAR offers that.

      My main concern is trying to obtain more medical info as i live in the middle east with limited available information. If you have any suggestions for any medical centres who might be able to advise me further, I would be very grateful!! 

  • Posted

    Hi Laura

    My advice is ankle replacement. With this you retain full movement of your ankle. The place to go to is Wrightington hospital near Wigan. They are the experts on ankles

    I'm 4 month ex op and moving along nicely. Still in pain walking but getting better every day.

    Good luck

    Regards

    Mr Ankle

  • Posted

    Hi Laura 

    I am 57 I had a triple athrodiesis 12 years ago on my left foot after the initial twelve months with swelling .i have not had any pain in it or has it stopped me running or cycling I have a little trouble with football because you have no side movement other agin that  I do all the things I did before I got the ankle problem leading to op ... I am now just over four weeks after an triple athrodiesis on my right ankle all going well .....I had no hesitation in having my right ankle fused in the same way .... ....it's 12 weeks with cast on full non weight bearing for ten of those weeks two weeks partial weight bearing long time but it does work ...good luck Laura 

    • Posted

      Thank you for for sharing this Paul.

      How does fusions affect your everyday life? Do you find that other areas take the strain - knee/ back? Are you able to walk without a limp? What about when running?

       

    • Posted

      Laura....... I had a knee replacement two years ago but that was because of sport ...tore ligiments dislocated knee when I was in my teens and knee kept dislocating long before my ankle op  I don't think they are related I have this ankle problem because of psoriatic athritis started in my late thirties ....known to affect hands ..feet ..back .ect ....I am lucky no back problems ...it takes time for the op to settle once it does its remarkable you are left with no pain an ankle that only move up or down ..because you have no side movement you may fall over if you are playing certain sports ...it does not stop you from jogging or playing the sports as you played before your ankle became painful ..really I would say this is like a kind off miracle op that takes away the pain and gives you back your life again ..I plan next year to do the walk called the hyndland way it's a hundred mile walk in some of the most lovely parts of scotland takes about a week taking it easy camping on the way with my son ...so Laura don't worry just think what you want to do when you recover and look forward to your life back to normal with no pain ......I love my push bike I go out for four or more hours twice a week ... great for getting over op. Swimming excellent too ...

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