Am looking for advice

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 

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.

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

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