Ankle Ankle fusion surgery yesterday

[denver18]

Good morning to everyone! I am home recovering from surgery and everything seems to be going well. I was hoping people would offer me tips and mention things they wished they would have done differently. So far hardest thing for me try to figure out is my small bathroom and tub being pretty close to toilet. Also get hiccups a lot. Thank you all and hope to hear back.

 

[Celle]

Welcome, denver18 !

I think many of our articles about recovering from a knee replacement also apply to an ankle fusion, so I'll give them to you. Just ignore the articles that don't seem appropriate.

For the first month or so, you need to spend much of your time resting, with your ankle iced and elevated, to help reduce swelling and let it heal. Take your pain medications on a regular schedule, too.

Knee Recovery: The Guidelines
1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now; they are almost certainly temporary
2. Control discomfort:

rest
elevate
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)
don't overwork.​

3. Do what you want to do BUT

a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you
b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.​

4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these

the BoneSmart view on exercise
BoneSmart philosophy for sensible post op therapy​

5. Here is a week-by-week guide for Activity progression for TKRs


The Recovery articles:
The importance of managing pain after a TKR and the pain chart
Swollen and stiff knee: what causes it?

Energy drain for TKRs
Elevation is the key

Ice to control pain and swelling
Heel slides and how to do them properly

Chart representation of TKR recovery
Healing: how long does it take?

Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

There are also some cautionary articles here
Myth busting: no pain, no gain
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds

We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery. While members may create as many threads as they like in a majority of BoneSmart's forums, we ask that each member have only one recovery thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review history before providing advice.

 

[Celle]

I live in New Zealand and it is already March 2nd here, so I am a little confused as to what date you had your ankle fusion. Please will you confirm whether it was on February 28 or March 1? Many thanks!

 

[denver18]

Thank you for the response. It is March 1st evening right now. Had surgery yesterday.

 

[Jamie]

Hi, denver and welcome to BoneSmart!!! Since we're primarily a hip and knee forum, you may not find a lot of ankle fusion patients here right now to talk with. But.....we have a great family of folks who will still encourage you and support you through your recovery. As Celle said, the recovery process will be much the same as for a knee replacement, so do take a look at the articles she posted for you. The main thing right now is to rest and allow your body the time it needs to heal properly.

Since you'll be resting a lot, why not skip over to the hip and knee recovery forums and find some folks there to talk with? Many of them are having some interesting recoveries and I think the interaction will be helpful for you even if they aren't ankle replacements!

 

[Annie 20]

Buy a shower stool and also a waterproof cast cover (Amazon or a pharmacy). The cover is shaped like a boot with a seal at the top so you can completely shower without getting wet.
If you have problems with crutches or a frame consider buying a knee scooter to get around on.
Good luck
Anne1

 

[Chanie]

HI I also found a shower chair that extends over the tub very useful as you sit down on it OUT of the tub to prepare, then kinda slide over into tub itself, slide back over to dry and get dressed. And a hand held shower head. Either way its a frustrating experience did you have a total ankle fusion, like locked in an L shape position?