|
Total Ankle Replacement
Please keep your foot elevated above your heart as much as possible for the first few weeks after your surgery.
Pre Hospital
- If you have your own X-rays please take them to hospital
- No food, drink or smoking for 6 hours prior to surgery (you may have sips of water up to 2 hours prior to surgery)
- Notify The Clinic for Foot & Ankle Surgery if you have any cuts, abrasions or skin problems on the leg to be operated on.
Hospital
- Usual stay two to three nights
- ½ plaster backslab dressing first two weeks
- Physiotherapy to mobilise non-weightbearing on crutches
- Ensure you have a postoperative appointment on discharge.
What to Expect
- Swelling - This is to be expected. Minimise this by keeping your foot elevated above your heart
- Pain - You will receive a prescription for pain medication on discharge. Pain will be minimised by keeping your foot elevated
- Bleeding - This always occurs. You may notice some oozing through the bandages. If this continues in large amounts please contact The Clinic for Foot & Ankle Surgery. Keeping your foot elevated will minimise the bleeding.
Post Operative care of your Foot
- Rest - Bed for the first few days with your foot elevated above the level of the heart. The foot should be elevated on 3 to 4 pillows
- Mobilise only as necessary - Use the shoe provided for mobilising
- Ice - An iced filled plastic bag placed over the foot or resting the foot on the bag helps ease pain and swelling
- Pain medication - Take oral analgesia as prescribed when necessary
- Do not wet dressing
- Do not remove dressing.
Post Operative Appointments
7 - 14 Days
- Dressing removed and changed
- If necessary sutures are removed and ends trimmed
- Fibreglass cast applied. (Click here for information about care of your cast)
- Cast shoe supplied and weight-bearing, using crutches is commenced
- Continue to elevate and rest leg as much as possible.
6 Weeks
- Cast removed
- X-ray
- Physiotherapy referral
- Weight bear as instructed
- You may now bath as normal. 'Dab" dry the wound rather than rub with a towel.
12 Weeks, 6 months and yearly
Expect
- 3 months to be fair, 6 months to be good, 12 months to be right
- 6 months for all swelling to cease.
Please understand that the post operative course varies with individuals and these are guidelines only.
If you develop a fever associated with an increase in pain and a discharge from the wound please call The Clinic for Foot & Ankle Surgery, also if you have any further questions.
« Back to Procedures |
