Swelling after ankle surgery

So glad you are doing well Karen .

Yes, keep your bad foot iced.  I didn't know you could use

Bio Oil on the scars. I will give it a go, thanks.

I am doing the best I can too although I am not the most

patient of people...

Molly

I was wondering if it's normal to have soreness on foot. It's been four months since tib/fib surgery. Still have a lot of ankle stiffness. Also after exercises it's painful and sore. I'm still limping slightly, because when I walk still painful. My PT said it could be because I don't have enough strength in the calf muscle. Should I be worried?

Hi Pety,

I think you are doing better than normal.

It has been more than 6 months after the surgery. My ankle still have stiffness, particularly in the morning and painful after long walk (less than 10 kms). 

Today, I suddenly have sharp pain on the area where the long screws are, after not very long walk - about 3 kms. I mean suddenly- one step was normal, the next step suddenly very painful. There wasn't any strange movement at all, just normal step. I was unable to walk. My husband carried me to the nearby sitting area to sit down. I asked him to go home to get my cruches. But after doing some messages and foot movement, the pain eased a bit. I walked home - only about 100 meters with the aid of my hubby's arm. Now 7 hours later, the pain slowly eased - still a little bit then.

I don't know what had happened. Hope it didn't refractured

If I getup tomorrow morning, the pain still there, I may go to the hospital.

 

Only 4 months? You're doing great. I'm 7 months & still stiff, PT & doc and this forum says that'll last 12 months. At 6 months I saw a turnaround. Less pain, walking better but still not without a limp. Yes calf muscle is part of it. You'll be fine & not to worry!

I hope it is OKHelen , but maybe just a little too far and it could be muscles or tendons talking back.

Maybe don't walk quite so far yet, 1 year is magic number they say for full recovery.

Margie

Thank you Margie!

I am going to take xray this afternoon to check out?

I agree Maria,

My surgery was Dec 16 and I just had my plate removed and stuck back in the boot for 2 more weeks!

Only partial wb so a step backwards. I too am so bored and crawling the walls these days. I spend a lot of time talking to my dog l! My patience has worn very thin. I hope we can be walking by July?? I want to enjoy some of the summer, they are so short here in Canada 🇨🇦

Cheers

Margie

Sending you a smile and a hug as I completely understand.

Pain from graduating from two crutches to one to a cane well...a pain in the inside of my calf hurts so badly. Feel like it's set me back so far. I have to use two crutches again.

This healing is no fun. My heart goes out to you.

Here's to more triumphs than trials.

I wish you a good healing week.

Karen

Thanks margie💋

Its such a rollacoster ride and i already dont like rides😊 someone today asked if i will ever fully recover!!! I said i hope too!!! Wanted to say something else really###### what a stupid thing to say!!!

Ive been back out today but find if i walk i find it hard to exercise as im in too much pain and then feel sad coz i feel bad for not stretching my foot enough to improve my rom...😢 sad circle of my life at the mo!!! I did think today 1 month ago i wouldnt be doing the things im doing today like 1 crutch and my backpack on so i can get my own stuff from the shop😄 so im trying to make peace with myself but its hard/boring/painful😢 hopefully my mood will lift soon😞😞 i hope so wishing you well luv maria😘

Hi Margie,

I had the surgery on 1 Dec 2016. My hardware will be removed in a week of time. I am very much like to know how quick your recovery. Do you need crutches now?

According to my surgeon, I will be 2 weeks NWB, follow by 2 weeks LWB. He is not going to give a boot nor cast. I will be back to crutches for at least 4 weeks.

Wish you speedy recovery!

Helen

Hi Helen,

I am in the boot for two weeks light wb. Then he said I would go to shoe prob with a ankle brace and full wb. I just had a small plate out I didn't have the two large screws in my heel out as they didn't bother me.

The surgery was pretty quick and I just had a local freezing. It was sore for first 3 days and swollen, so I took Tylenol 3 that doc gave. Now I just take one pain pill at night. I hope all goes well with yours , the nwb will be difficult. Nice you don't have the boot though.

Good luck let me know how it goes.

Margie

Oh and yes on the crutches and I have pulled my shoulder muscles.

I actually have callous on the palm of my hands from the crutches. I can't wait till I can rid of them!!!

Hi Helen,

I was wondering how your hardware removal went?

How has your progress been since the operation? Are you wb yet. I am on one crutch and use a cane in the house, but still can't go too far yet. The boot ishard on my hip and lower back. I believe you won't have to be in a a boot, lucky you. Well let me know how your doing!

Margie

Hi Margie,

Thank you for asking. My HWR surgery turned out more than just a simple remove surgery. The surgeon discovered more problems - a lot of scar tissue inside the ankle, damage to the ankle cartilage etc. The first surgery was not carried out well. That was why I was still in a lot pain after 6 months.

Now the doctor put me in boot with tow crutches. Weight bearing as tolerated.

I am not in pain, but not making much movement either. Most of time time I put my foot up and has ice pad on it.

I can walk with boot only if I push for it. But I am going to take easy to let the body to repair the damaged cartilage.

I am seeing my surgeon next Tuesday.

Yes, boot is not as convenient as I thought. I didn't have boot after the first surgery. Now I am going to wear the boot for six weeks, regardless what the doctor said. I don't want to take the risk of re- fractures.

o my god Helen that is scary!! I hope they got it right this time and recovery then should go better. The first 3-5 days after surgery he said try to rest it and only light wb.He wants me to move my toes and foot when the cast is off. It will b be 5 weeks after hardware removal my cast comes off,so I agree you should keep it on 6 weeks at least as you had more done. It's been 2 weeks now for me and My foot feels so much better, just more achy muscle now from doing my excercises or if I do too much. I am sending you healing wishes and rest and RICE for the first bit. Good luck!

Margie

Thanks Margie!

Yes, I believe this surgery is better than the previous one. I have changed hospital and surgeon. Unlike yours, I don't have cast this time. If only the HWR, I don't even need a boot.

I have stopped taking pain killer after two days. I don't feel pain, if I don't put my foot down for too long. It is still at early stage. But I can see my ROM has improved a lot - almost as good as the other foot. The foot does not have much swelling either - only the cutting area.

Why you surgeon put you in cast again? How long the HWR since your first surgery?

It's a walking boot that I can take off , thank heavens. I'm not sure what HRW is? I've made good progress at physio and my ROM is almost 10% now, I started at 0 . I can walk with the cane now and I'm going to try a bit in the shoe but with two crutches just to see how it feels next week. July 13 is when I should be rid of the boot for good. I'm out of it more and more to do my excercises and foot massages and icing . So glad you seem to be progressing at a faster rate, their is light at the end of the tunnel for both of us. I am going camping this week end and might even get out in the lake for a boat ride😎. It is a heat wVe here and 32 degrees all week end which is about 100. It's our Canada Day 150 birthday!!🇨🇦??. So lots of fireworks 💥 🎉 And celebrations this week end!!!

Margie

Hi Margie,

First of all, happy Canada Day!

HWR = Hardware Removed.

My injury happened on 30 Nov 2016. The following day, I the foot had been fixed with screws and a plate. These are the hardware I had took out last Thursday on a HWR surgery.

Before the HWR surgery I was able to walk upto 10kms in one day, would suffered a lot of pain afterward, if I did that.

Now I can't walk without boot and crutches. But it will get better. This time will be much fast. My ROM is about 90% now. Once the stitches are off, itt could improve to 100%. Before the HWR, my ROM was about 60-70%, even I was able to walk pretty long distance then.

Are you going to remove the hardware, Margie?

Helen

Hi Helen,

I had HWR on June 6 but only my plate on the top of my ankle was removed. The 2 large screws in my heal holding my subtalar fusion were left in as they don't seem to bother me. I got 1 week left in the boot and my ROM is improving with physio 2X a week and doing my excercises at home. I can walk for short bits hands free but it does bother my hip and knee in the boot. Wow it was nice you at least got walking before, I just got to the shoe with using the cane and could only do a few steps on my own Cause the plate pinched and hurt. My first surgery was Dec 16. You will prob have your ROM and foot strength developed enough to start walking well right away. My PT thinks about 4-6 weeks before I could walk about 1 km unaided. This will bring into my start back to work date of late August as I'm a teacher. Good luck!

Margie

Hi Margie,

Thank you for the update. I am a teacher too. I chose to have the surgery in late June, so that I can use the 3 weeks winter holiday to recover.

If it is only a simple hardware removal surgery, I should be allowed to walk unaided once the pain settled which was on the 3rd day.

My problem now is the damaged cartilage. The surgeon gave me a boot to wear and put me into two crunches. I haven't start my PT yet - have to wait after 6 weeks for the cartilage to repair. If the first surgeon as careful as the second one I will be much better now. Because the first surgeon didn't pickup the cartilage problem and allowed me to start FWB right after the cast off. It had done more damages.

I probably would never be able to run again. I am not sure about hiking. It is very sad.

Well that is too bad that you may not be able to enjoy some of your activities, but what they say is not necessarily what happens we know our own bodies so well so you can always try some shorter more level homes, never say never is my Moro. I have had my ankle deformity all my life and the docs said I wouldn't walk normally when I was a baby and I was a provincial champion In Gymnastics in high school and won many hurdles and sprint relays. Your body can adapt and you can modify alot. Will you go back in September to teaching?

I hope I am walking quite well by then. I think this surgeon had kept me in this boot too late my. That's what my PT thinks also and my joints and muscles are so week because of it. Only at about 20% ROM now so I'm getting tired of it all!!!!

Well I'm sure you'll be happy to

Be rid of it as well and I hope pain free. I have one spot on the outside of my ankle that always hurts when I've been on it. I hope it's just muscle pain.

You are from US I think, so Happy 4th of July!!!💥🎉

Hikes and motto- dam spell correct

Thanks Margie for the encouragement. You are so amazing. I am sure you will be able to walk normally very soon. Yes, let's hope for the best. I will fight to get back to do all those activities when the doctor allows me to have FWB.

By the way, I live in Australia. Now is our winter holiday. The new semester will begin in 17 July. I can't make it. I have told school. I am going to take doctor's advice this time - not to go back to work too early, in order to give the time for the body to repair the cartilage.

Taking about the cartilage, have you check if you cartilage is OK? I also had one spot on outside of my ankle, where the bottom screw on the plate was, that always hurts. I thought it was the screw. But when I waked up from the HWR surgery, also the spot start hurting first. Now the surgeon told me that the pain was came from the damaged cartilage.

Hi Margie. I have a question about your ankle pain. That one particular spot. I have pain that keeps me from walking without crutches, (I'm 4 months post op tib/fib break), it's about 2 inches above my ankle on the inside of my leg. The doctor keeps telling me it's scar tissue and will take time.

What do you do to relieve your painful spot?

Healthy healing. 😀😀😀

Karen

Hi Karen,

I just put ice in it and if really bad reach for the pain meds which I'm pretty much off at this point. My doc says muscle pain due to activity but I'm not sure now that I here about cartilage damage, I'll ask about that. 1 more week in the boot I can't wait.

I hope things are progressing with you!

Margie

I will ask about the cartilage Helen. It is good you will take the time to heal fully, teaching is hard enough when you are 100 % let alone with injuries to deal with. I'm kinda of sad I'm not really enjoying my summer break as I can't do many of the activities I enjoy yet, but I'm having a bad day so all seems more doom and gloom.

Take Care,

Margie

Indeed. I have missed 3 school holidays due to this injury. My injury happened at a school camp, therefore I was covered. But I went back to work too early after the first surgery. This time I am going to listening to the doctor. I still need the foot for another 40-50 years, if I live beyond 90. This is very likely nowadays. I am also going to take whole year unpaid leave next year. I need to look after myself, before I can look after others well.