Ankle Replacement Surgery

Irishjig you really need to be careful with who you choose. I almost made a bad mistake going with a young doctor (30) that had only fellowed with a great surgeon for a year just because I was desperate. I went out of area but still in-network for a surgeon that had performed over 350 replacements. I had bone on bone arthritis from an injury that was 22 years in the making. shots never worked for me. Swelling and pain went hand in hand for me. I could not do to much and was found disabled at a very young age of 25.  I just had my surgery 5 months ago and at this point I am regretting it! I wish I would have just opted for the fussion. The main reason is simply because you cannot prepare yourself for this surgery. No matter how many people you talk to or ask or read about. Everybody is different and nobody reacts the same way. My foot and toes and lower leg are still asleep which drives me crazy every day around 5pm and I can't wait for bed time to get here so I don't have to deal with it, where other people are fine with that because maybe they do not have any pain anywhere else. I too have stiffness and pain just like before the surgery. The first 22 visits of PT were a complete waste of time because I used a therapist that I trusted but had no clue what he was dealing with when it came to an ankle replacement. So you need to make sure you find someone that has experience working with people that have had the surgery. My incision did not heal very well or in a timely manner either. So always listen to your surgeon, he knows best, or should know best and should steer you in the right direction. You must work hard with PT exercises. Once your incision heals I highly recommend you join a gym with a pool. You can look up exercises on youtube to do in the water that will help your PT along. I'm not talking swimming at all. Just simply walking and side by side steps, etc. I wish you luck with whatever you choose to do! Just take your time and make sure it is what you want and you understand everything. At this time my surgeon is worried I may have an impingement or even new bone growth but have new plan of action either way. Good Luck!!!

My Tar nearly identical to yours am over 4months over op and it's too painful to walk on so am not waiting am getting fusion asap that's it.. don't waste any more time.. get that fusion done

im curious what strength CBD cream you are using?

Im also using a CBD roll on stick 500mg. it has been helping me also. I must say however give it 6 weeks using it 4 times a day at first before giving up on it. It seems to do nothing at first but I was told to stick with it for a month, glad I did. It has helped me significantly.

1000mg, 2 - 4x a day, I miss typed sorry. I got it off of Amazon, I'm not sure it's as potent at the stuff I got from a friend but it sure as heck smells better. I don't slather it on, just some nice dabs around the joint then massage it in for a good 2 minutes. 2 oz lasts about a month.

I talked to my Dr. today he strongly suggested I don't do anything until it gets really bad. It seems that the designers of the implants haven't figured out how to replace the plastic, pretty sure they use delron but....I'd love to see one, for the life of me I can't see why they can't make the wearable parts replaceable. He uses the Salto and the delron appears to be replaceable hmmmmm.

Jan 2018 right ankle replaced only pain encountered was very bad nerve pain on top of foot that has to this day still remained troublesome. Feeling just isn't right, but ankle is fine a year plus later.

March 2019 left ankle replaced. so far the only issue is extrem boredom waiting to have cast removed and start therapy. 100% better operation results so far. Minimal nerve pain and no pain meds required at all.

I couldnt find anyone else that had nerve damage to extent I did on first ankle, but stick it out with therapy and I hope you improve as I eventually did.

Over all best thing i could have done as i still enjoy long walks and hikes in the mountains.

Be well,

Kenn

Excellent news. Kenneth. Was it the same prosthesis both times? I had a TAR in 2012 but due to problems found an excellent revision surgeon who removed the original prosthesis and repaired all the damage caused by bad placement and installed an advanced replacement in Feb last year in a six hour operation.

I have fantastic movement and can do six mile walks at a fast pace without. stopping and swim about half a mile daily.

Everyone who has had a TAR should be aware and remind their surgeon to check at every. check-up for Osteolysis. This is what caused most of my issues and is a big danger especially with a TAR.

Good luck, Richard

great surgeon (P.Fortin) and yes same for both. Thanks for the tip and great hearing about your positive outcome.

Be well.

Hi Peter

I had the TAR Feb 2018 I did great for two months after the cast came off and on my 20th visit of PT which would have been my last, something popped on the treadmill and i had a pain that never went away. i had bad nerve pain in my toes, and no other feeling but total numbness. my foot felt as if it were being strangled 24/7 it drove me crazy. The pain in my ankle was so bad i was actually worse off then i was before surgery and spent the rest if the year depressed and disabled for the TAR failure. having been born with a club foot and numerous surgeries all i ever wanted was to be as " normal" as possible and rejected all talks of amputation and fusion, soon after i deeply regretted my decision.. While all the surgeons i have spoke to preferences amputation it was never s

cont to peter amputation never something i gave thought to. Less then one year later went back in for the ankle fusion. though i am still in the recovery aspect and 2 months in i can honestly say i have no nerve pain, have feeling in my foot and toes and no longer feel like my foot is being strangled. maybe too soon to have a final answer as to whether this helped my ankle or not i honestly believe i should have chosen this fusion first and been back to my life a l

Richardken

Can you tell us what brand of TAR you had and what you have now.

Where ( which country ) is this operation done?

Thanks

The original prosthesis was the Zenith and for my revision the prosthesis used was the Wright Invision. prosthesis.

My original surgery was carried out in Wales in the UK and the revision was carried out at the Royal National Orthopedic hospital at Stanmore, Middlesex UK.

Please be VERY aware that it is essential that you choose a surgeon based only on their results and not if you like them or not. Your surgeon will normally make the choice of prosthesis based on what should be best for you and which they are happiest. with using.

You can see a short video of my walking and running up and down stairs after twenty weeks following my original. TAR. Google yogesh total ankle replacement. kenward. Hope. you find it helpful. Cheers Richard

Please be aware that certainly here in the UK many of the total ankle replacements are carried out by surgeons who have done very few ankle replacements so the risk to you is high. It is a very technically challenging surgery and the recovery can be too!

My surgeon spends a lot of his time. revising the poor work of other surgeons. It is vastly preferable to have. the surgery done right in the first place. My revision took six hours to complete in theatre whereas a primary. should take about two hours.

Cheers Richard

I had a TAR in July 2018. I have also felt this same nerve weirdness

• hot/numb/pain/strangulation - my toes cramp and my foot feels constantly asleep with pins and needles - my ankle is swollen (especially inside back) - almost golfball sized in one spot - growing daily it seems. I totally thought I would be up and walking and hiking, but I'm not really. I can walk and pain is far less than before but I can't go far. plus the more I walk the more it swells. it's super depressing and super annoying. I'm laying in bed right now and cant sleep because tiny fireworks are going off in my toes and my foot feels like it's on fire. I have not gone back to my surgeon because I feel like I'm whining and should just suck it up and deal. I was assuming this was all just part of the magical healing process - however reading this post makes me think that maybe I'm just one of the unlucky ones. anyway. I just wanted to complain. I feel I have used up all of my complaining opportunity at home so in effort to not annoy my husband and daughter as my longer - I leave my complaining here.

Hi,

Sorry to hear that you are still suffering with symptoms similar to my own. My TAR was only 10 weeks ago and although I am still in pain and like you have pins and needles. However it is getting better slowly day by day though I do take painkillers most days and always at night, I would kill for a good nights sleep.

All I can say to you is go see your doctor, you are NOT a whiner, get the ankle X-rayed there may be something may not be quite right. (emphasis on may). Take pain killers as needed but beware opiod addiction. I hav ebeen trying Comfry oil which seems to work, it is known as Knitbone and can be obtained from Amazon.

Good luck I hope thing improve quickly for you.

Regards

Peter

try adding CBD to your pain regimen. Rub it into your skin around the ankle 4x a day, 500 mg. Stick with it for 6 weeks. Dont stop, it may seem to be doing nothing at first. It helped me tremendously but I didn't think it was doing anything at first. Hope it helps you.

Just an FYI on CBD, they don't list the amount of CBD/OZ. I've been using 1000mg/2x day for a non-TAR and it suffices with a bone spur and arthritis.

Seems my Dr. doesn't want to do it until I'm too darn old to move or dead, which ever comes first. Oh Kaiser USA on Medicare.

Upon looking at the design of most of the units I'm wondering WHY THE HECK?? I use to be in the fabrication/machining trades doing precision work and this stuff is a joke. Parts is parts, you have a base then you do a replacement of the attachments. The stuff I did withstood multiple G forces.

i had a tar 5 years ago and suffer the same as you. Ive assumed its the way it is. Its certainly better then before. Maybe I should be stretching more. I should also lose a bit of weight. I understand not wanting to complain.

can you please share which surgeon performed the revision surgery at RNOH? thank you

Andrew Goldberg carried out my surgery but he no longer does NHS work at the RNOH as I understand it. You can do an internet search to get his contact details. Nick Cullen at the RNOH saw me for my one year check up there.

Good luck. Richard

We saw Dr. Goldberg at Wellington Health. We were disappointed in him actually. He did not review my husband's MRIs, and thus did not give us any specific information specific to his situation - just general information. This is AFTER his office refused to see us or even book an appointment unless we got MRIs. We spent over a month getting MRIs on the NHS, sent them to the office before the appointment and then he didn't even review them. He also didn't know that my husband was a hemophiliac even though this information was communicated to the office several times before the appointment.

Dear Molly I'm sorry that you and your husband had a disappointing meeting with AG. I have found that it is often necessary to be quite pro active when interacting with the medical world!

Cheers, Richard

We were very proactive. We asked him twice to review them and he just waived us off and said he would look after the appointment.

Dear Molly I'm very that you had such an unsatisfactory meeting.My experience seems to have been in marked contrast and the outcome has been excellent in every way.

When I saw Mr Cullen for my one year check up at ten months he was amazed at my progress, range of motion, and recovery in every way and said that unless there was an unexpected issue he did not want to see me for my next scheduled appointment which was in twelve months time!

Please feel free to ask me anything you like and that goes for anyone here. Cheers, Richard

4 months after my TAR am in worse pain cant put foot down too painful. wondering what happens with replacing bone with fusion will it be done together and hope its quick that's my next option.

I understand what you are saying and who am I to say anything what you should do.

However I sincerely which you -and all others of course - the best outcome.

IF you have the option to go for a " Wright" TAR especially in combination with an experienced surgeon ... after all you have been through I would to investigate that route. Second opinion?

The " Wright" implants AFAIK are the first choice when TAR's have to be replaced, if I am not mistaken, Richard Ken did the same.

I don't think you should be in pain after a TAR.

It probably is a less invasive operation then a fusion at this stage.

Thanks for your help .. went to surgeon op a complete fail he will do a fusion in couple of months.. but I will go back to see if he can fast forward that .. couldn't bare thoughts of more delay followed by months recovering. Everyones response here was great to see if I was going insane or not. Weeell even more insane 😈🤯 thanks all.

I hope you appreciate that a fusion carries its own risks, and limitations and potential for more problems later on. The TAR too can have problems and at the end of the day the TAR has the greatest risk and potential for. an improved quality of live. This is very much dependent upon the skill of your surgeon, your health, fitness, weight and a measure of luck! Cheers Richard

Not me TAR was a disaster I wouldn't go through another... thanks anyway

Fully understand your decision, wish you all the best.

Please let us know how it goes.