Ankle Replacement Surgery
Posted , 196 users are following.
I would like to estabish contact with anyone who has undergone ankle replacement surgery and reflect a ittle on the aftereffects and the longer term prognoses for recovery and mobility.
Having undergone such an operation about 9 months ago I am currently coming to terms with a less than welcome (and certainly unexpected) imapct upon my life and mobility.
Issues such as lack of mobility, excessive swelling and cronic pain from the ankle itself but also from the toes and lack of sensation and feeling in parts of the foot are those I am facing and would like to know how other poeple have fared, both in the short and longer term.
16 likes, 848 replies
steve_76980 Ultraboxer
Posted
Hi
Just found this fourm, I'm 53 and had the total ankle replecment 1 year ago, I'm a london police officer and been back to work for about 6 months now. I'm desk bound at the moment and just been told it's unlikely I will be front line again - I can't pass the bleep test. I feel great though, honestly just keep working at it.
I hardly have any pain at all, before i could hardly walk.
I can jog, although I don't think I should, I can do the 3 flights of stairs here everyday, all day, ride my bike and swim, and can now walk 18 holes of golf.
I'm really happy with the results, i can't say it's been easy i had an infection a month after the replacment and another op, 8 in two years from a motorcycle accident.
I was really scared at first to even stand, but once i got over this its been really good.
Ankle is swollen still - but that's no problem, i have almost as much movment in the new right ankle as i do in the left.
Balance is still a slight problem but I'm working on the strengh - i have had phyiso with the police so can't complain about that.
I'm told i'm the only police officer with a replacment ( i find that hard to believe ) and wanted to see how others are doing.
I dont have a lot of feeling in the foot but again you get used to that.
From what I've read on here it's not all good news but I can't say I've had a bad experiance - it's true to say i won't let this hold me back and i will push myself but all i can say is - i think a lot of the problems can be overcome.
If i can help in anyway just contact me on here, i can tell you what I can and can't do.
Good luck hope it gets better
mary86724 Ultraboxer
Posted
I worked as a Nurse throughout all this having only retired last year. I never let it affect me.
The STAR was the 11th operation since the original accident happened as a 28 year old (now 60).
Until I moved to Norfolk I had annual reviews at Queens Medical Centre Nottingham but seem to have slipped through the review net in Norfolk. Nevermind.
Happy to discuss in depth or answer any questions.
mary02640 mary86724
Posted
Hello Mary, my friend had ankle replacement on Friday, he is in horrible pain, and has had very little medication for his pain. He wishes he had not had the surgery due to the pain. He has had three unsuccessful surgeries. I'd like know if the primary physician should be checking in on him, since he has other serious conditions.
I have always thought of surgeons as mechanics, in my experience the primary physician visited me after surgery and the nurse had to phone the surgeon because he had not been in to see me, and she needed his okay to send me home.
What about transition care? The surgeon talks about discharging him tomorrow, I am concerned about how his wife will manage to care for him, they both are sixty.
Do you have any advice for his wife? I told her she should call the primary, and ask him to see his patient.
RichardKen mary02640
Posted
He should be using pain killers to keep AHEAD of the pain and keep his foot above his heart until the swelling and pain go. Icing his foot will also help reduce pain and swelling.
Good luck Richard
terryv99 mary02640
Posted
mary02640 terryv99
Posted
Do you have some suggestions about pain management at home, and
what worked at home. Did you use a bed rail to support you getting out
of bed, and prevent you from falling out?
terryv99 mary02640
Posted
I went in at 10 am Tuesday and was out by noon on Wednesday, over night, so insurance would pay. No follow up by doctor. I'll see him next week (20th).
If they did not give him a pain block he must keep it up and cool. I know that does not sound like much but it makes all the difference. Of course I did have hydrocodne .
We have a large and high bed , no rails, so it is easy to slide on and off. I only get up to go to the bathroom and I use crutches to get there.
terryv99 Ultraboxer
Posted
I am 67 and had my ankle replaced 12/6/16,I thought I would try to provide regular status updates. Maybe it will help those who may need a TAR.
The plan was to replace the ankle with a STAR prosthesis. The operation was scheduled for 3 hours but they needed to make some adjustments to my heel and it ended up taking five hours. Since I was under for so long I slept, on and off, for 19 hours. I slept good last night and some today.
So far there has been no real pain but it is coming. They did a pain block just below the knee which is still working and I have been taking hydrocodone. The pain block will run out sometime tomorrow then I will only be using the hydrocodone. Bye the way, do not take the hydrocodone without food or you may throw up. I also have a cooling pack under all the bandages, this runs ice water around the ankle to keep the swelling down. Based on my previous surgery I recommend the pain block and cooling pad, they have made a big difference.
RichardKen terryv99
Posted
Cheers
Richard
mary02640 Ultraboxer
Posted
BradleySTAR mary02640
Posted
mellowphil Ultraboxer
Posted
Hi I had a TAR in December 2013. The surgery was done in Nimes (France) and I have an Integra Newdeal. 3 years on and I still have a lot of pain. I hoped I would be more mobile than before the operation, but I don't think I am. So, I am considering an arthrodesis. Has anyone here taken that route?
RichardKen mellowphil
Posted
I'm sorry to hear that you are still in a lot of pain after three years post surgery. It would be interesting to know what your situation was prior to the surgery and what has your surgeon had to say about the reason for your pain after all this time?
mellowphil RichardKen
Posted
Hello Richard
I had a motorbike accident around 40 years ago, damaging my left leg. Around 10 years ago I started getting pain in my left ankle and was diagnosed with post-traumatic arthritis. I had shoe inserts, cortizone injections and 4 years ago was referred to a surgeon in Nimes to consider surgery. I was in hospital for one week, two weeks at home after that, then 6 weeks in a residential centre de rééducation receiving physiotherapy, massage, hydrotherapy etc. (French health service is fantastic). When I was sent home, I had another 30 sessions of physiotherapy in a day centre.
I have never been free of pain since the op and at my annual review with my surgeon this autumn, he sent me for a CT scan. I saw my surgeon this morning and the scan showed degeneration between the talus and the calcaneus. I am going back for a cortizone injection next week. He suggests that he may consider fixing the talus and calcaneus together in future.
If the cortizone helps, then I assume that he has found the source of my pain. Fingers crossed!
RichardKen mellowphil
Posted
Thanks for the additional information. How very frustrating for you that you are still suffering pain however my gut feeling is that cortizone injections are at best only going to be a short term remedy sadly but I'm not a doctor!
I'm in a similar situation having had a very successful TAR four years ago and got my life back and now am having to have bone transplant's due to cysts that threaten to destroy the bone around the fittings. It only showed up a few weeks ago at my annual inspection and now I understand that the tiny fragments of metal and plastic from the joint have caused this to happen. I understand that if you are unlucky this can happen with any replacement joint. It's something that one is not told when the surgery is offered...not good!
Anyway best of luck going forward.
Cheers Richard
mary02640 mellowphil
Posted
and manage pain. I had an unsucessful spinal fusion fifty years ago that did not heal, and live with chronic arthritic pain at the surgery srite, and could benefit from having your positive attitude.
tara54372 mellowphil
Posted
Keep in mind that cortisone shots are just temporary relief and that too many of them can cause damage to your ankle . Have you considered an ankle replacement? I'm 19 months post op and it's the best decision I ever made. I'm completely pain free after 20 years of bone on bone arthritis.