Ankle Replacement Surgery

Hi,

I am 16 months post ankle replacemt and to be honest only just thinking it was the right operation to go for. I am still in pain but gradually decreasing, slowly getting more mobile and walking better but suffer for two days after a lot of walking. Saying that, a lot I now do I could not do 4 moths ago so i deffinaltley have progress. I have also started riding my road and mountain bikes again  (I car ride 20 miles now).

I still suffer swelling and stiffness but I have found you need to keep moble. I work at a desk and and as long as I take regular breaks to walk around the building the ankle is a lot happier (if only I had known that 8 months ago). 

I also started to use a sports support on the ankle at work 4 months ago and it made a huge difference, now only use it now and again (I work 12 hour shifts).

I do believe that you need to keep the ankle moving when at work, esspecially if you have a desk job, also you need to work on strengthening the ankle.

I expect my recovery will take 2 + years, I was expecting 1! I was also expecting miracles from the operation but I believe I was expecting too much.

I really do now believe it was the right operation to go for instead of the fusion, it just take a lot longer to recover than you expect or hope.

Will I be 100% pain free, I doubt it but you learn to live with it (I hope).

12 Months after the operation I was in a bad place, 4 months later things are looking very positive for me. shed a stone and a half in weight (10% of my b0dy weight). my main goal was to ride bikes agan because it it low impact for the new joint and I have achieved that and hopefully go onto ride a lot further.

I still take anti inflamitories and painkillers when needed but not as many as time goes by. I suffer calf cramps and calf muscle spasms and will discuss this with my consultant in september.

My consultand has always said give it time and 4 months again said give it another year and he could be right!

I hope this helps.

quietMrG.

 

Hi I am a tennis player and had severe bone on bone arthritis in both ankles..only one painful..I had my TAR using the STAR prosthetic almost 14 weeks ago with a very experienced CA Cedars Sinai physician specializing in ankles. I was nonweightbearing for two weeks in heavier splint cast, then stitches removed and nonweightbearing for two more weeks in lighter not removable cast.  The knee scooter was so helpful for the nonweightbearing period. 

I also purchased a knee pillow to elevate my ankle that was great..Those first 4 weeks were the toughest as I don't do well on pain meds and was off of them after casts came off. I was put in removable moon boot for another 5 weeks and was encouraged to start weight bearing slowly. He gave me ROM exercises to begin. Started with walker then cane. An Ortho doc recommended HOKA shoes for walking after release from the moon boot as they have curved sole to help with adjustment to walking again.

My doctor said no physical therapy until after X-ray at 8-9 weeks to be sure healing is on track and prosthetic is firmly in place.  He allowed me to start pool walking and light swimming. This was helpful for less weight bearing walking. 

After seeing X-ray of good healing my Dr. Recommended physical therapy and allowed bike riding as well as swimming. I have been progressing in physical therapy with increased range of motion and less pain than prior to surgery. I have some numb areas on my foot and get swelling and nerve pain everyday.  I am trying to swim or bike ride three times a week and do physical therapy....and work Full-time.  I am trying Acupuncture to reduce swelling and nerve pain. I still have to elevate my ankle several rimes a day and ice it at night.  Working now on ROM and footwork to return to doubles tennis.  With swelling, none of my tennis shoes fit. Had to go to larger size and wider.  Birkenstock Orthotics help over insoles with new tennis shoes.

When  thinking would I do the surgery again, after two and three weeks I was seriously questioning my decision but now at 3 months I would say it is worth what you have to go through.

i am working on patience and reading posts of others helps me see the healing process as one day at a time.  

Thanks to all for your postings and think positively for your healing!

I just had Ankle Arthrodesis combined with a Bunion Plate surgery at the same time. I had 8 screws for the ankle fusion and also a toe plate.

I was told that recovery can be up to a year. I am in my seventh week and out of cast and into a walking boot. I just started weight bearing with crutches. How long were you non weight bearing? Is my six weights non weight bearing long enough? For you, my Dr told me that when there is pain and swelling to immediately sit down and elevate foot and ice. Dr said that could be up to one year after surgery. You still are in that time frame. Hang in there and give yourself 3 more months. Good luck!

I am amazed at the number of folks writting in that continue to have problems with their ankle replacements.  I had my done on April 15, 2016 and as far as I am concerned doing extremly well.  I truly feel there are 2 key factors in having this type of surgery, 1.  a doctor that is extablished in doing this type of surgery 2. not getting in a hurry for recovery.  I was in a gauze bandage for a week, went into a cast for 4 weeks, then into the boot which I did not put any weight on my foot for one week after the boot.  After 1 week I did 25% of my weight, 10 days later 50% and so on till I was at 100%.  When I had full weight in the boot I wore it for another 2 weeks before I took it off and walked without it.  I continue to wear my boot when I am home and working around the house, at night I wear the sock to sleep in and have continued to wear it to work some.  I have had no pain, I am walking good, have good movement and feeling.  I am dealing with swelling but I can only think that is too be expected.  So far I am glad I had it done.

Well in Missouri.             

I am so sorry I can understand your pain I've suffered for seven years. I finally had a car in 2012 after struggling for several years walking on what felt like a raw stump I had a tar in my right foot for several months everything was okay then I was barely a able to get around without minimal pain as the years progress the pain progressed and got much more severe I found got an appointment with my surgeon who would done the original tar and he deemed it necessary to remove my existing ankle replacement and Arnel scheduled for surgery next week to have a new replacement installed I'm trying hard to be hopeful and I'm praying of course to God every minute of every day that this works because there was no actual reason for it not to have worked the first time he found nothing wrong with my bone with the appliance it just didn't take for whatever reason I am hopeful very hopeful this time it will take and I will once again be back to my old sales I should tell you I didn't really take a lot of caution the first time I'm extremely active not overweight 62 but very young for my age and maybe push my ankle a little too far at the beginning I won't make the same mistake this time I will go slower and be more careful with myself and try to do no harm and hopefully everything will turn out alright I'll stay in touch and try to let everyone know about my progress but take heart and if your doctor makes you feel bad about yourself and your pain all I can say is dump him immediately there are thousands of very good positions out there insurgents you can take this song and will be happy to help you overcome your pain and suffering don't for a minute let a physician belittle you and your pain it's justified and you need someone who understands and will help you God bless

Almosy 7 months from the date of surgery and can report that I am not perfect but I can walk and go to work in a winebar where I do much walking on a shift. The drive homeis about 35 minutes which gives my ankle time to stiffen up and when I try toget out of the car it is a little painfulbut not to the point in the past that I just wanted to shoot myself in the past. We are evaluting the next step as the Sub Talus area is giving me pain but is taken care of with steroid shot which lasted almost 4 months which is a record for me, in the past they lasted maybe 3 weeks. I still feel uncomfortable and unsteady when going down stairs that are narrow but that might be me being overly cautious. I welcome my visits tothe local gym where I can go in the Jacuzzi and soak my foot and makes life allbetter fora while. Overall I would not change a thing about wether to have the surgery or not.