Ankle replacement

Dear Tim

That surely is rather unusual for the bone not to have "knitted" properly with the prosthesis but what bad luck.

Why did you go with a TAR and not a fusion and what do you think a fusion would have given you over a TAR?

Have you any idea what the level of experience of your surgeon is?

All the best Richard

My doctor talked me into said I could be back at work with in six months. Well that's incorrect I have been off over two years and have a hearing about getting total disability not all for ankle I do have arthritis in my hands which puts my job out now I had bee. A casino dealer for 22 years. He had a lot of experience in replacements well relatively a lot. 

What a bummer for you. Your surgeon presumably went through all the reasons for choosing one over the other. There are a lot of surgeons undertaking TARS here in the UK but doing insufficient to be experienced enough to do the best possible job unfortunately. It may be different were you live.

Good luck. Richard

Here in Illinois there r several that do it now but I don't believe there r any experts as of yet. Yes he did go through reasons for it main was my age I was 55 and very active and had a job that I do on my feet or I did 

Dear Tim

Thanks for the additional information. I have always been told that for younger more energetic people a fusion is the recommended option because a TAR is likely to have to be revised at least once during their lifetime and is not so durable.

My surgeon had done about twenty before mine but he did not do a good enough job and I've had to pay a high price as a result. Positioning and alignment is critical to the success of a TAR as it is a far more technically challenging procedure than a simple hip replacement one.

Tim please be aware that osteolysis is a known reason for many TAR failures and it is something that many ankle surgeon's fail to warn one about!

Ask at every year's check up that cysts are looked for because they need to be cleaned out and filled before they spread and weaken the bones around the prosthesis.

Good luck going forward.

Cheers Richard

Thanks for the info I will ask about that. So what is wrong with yours ? Do u still work? What's your age

As regards to cysts please continue to be proactive over the coming years, do not rely on the doctors!

My TAR was done by a very nice surgeon who had only done about twenty such operations before doing mine and got the prosthesis in set too far to one side, incorrectly orientated and not well aligned to my leg.

There was evidence noted in my records of cysts in the area of the operating site but nothing mentioned to indicate that they had been dealt with.

It is thought that cyst development is as the result of wear debris from the poly spacer that is between the metal prosthesis components badly reacting with the body so it follows that be better the positioning of the prosthesis the less the likelihood of excessive debris and as a result cysts

.

As you will be aware this is a very demanding surgery and one that only a very experienced competent surgeon should be doing.

I made a short video at twenty weeks post op to show how I was walking on a variety of surfaces and running up and down stairs. Just Google Yogesh total ankle replacement. Please let me know how you found it.

All the best Richard

Thank you so much for your response and advice.  Never would have thought to ask for a 24 hour nerve block.  I'm amazed at what you've been through - bad part is unacceptable.

Yeah that's what I thought I was amazed that the insurance company would pay for both and not fight it