Ankle My total ankle replacement story

12 month post TAR report: wow! 12 months now, but I truly can’t say that time flies by, since I remember each week and month during my recovery. I am seeing progress, however slow it seems. Still experience stiffness when walking around and some pain, although the pain seems to move around in the ligments surrounding my TAR ankle. Almost like they get crossed somehow.
I am walking about a mile and a half, but not every day. Some days I use the elliptical or bike.
Am I glad I did it? Absolutely, just wish it would reach complete pain free,. I see my surgeon next month and I bet he will tell me that it will take another six months due to my age.
I do continue to do ankle exercises at home; stopped PT about four months ago.
 
@Larryr Thanks for the update! Sounds like your TAR recovery is coming along nicely. I'm sure you will continue to see improvement - it just takes time.

Please let us know how your appointment goes next month.
 
@Larryr you are a superstar! Reading your journey has given me a lift. I've been looking into right TAR during this past year. Due to rhuematoid arthritis for over 30 yrs now, I've had 3 foot/ankle arthrodesis (fusions) don eon my left ankle. but it's now 8 yrs since my last one and the ankle has deteriorated to needing a TAR, thank G-d there is such a thing now. But got sidelined with a Right Knee replacement done 3 mts. ago in June. Recovery was hard but good now! Of course, I am not looking forward to another big surgery but I can't put it off. Scheduled today for December 18 2020 . Wondering if you had the TAR because of injury or RA? Anyone out there that had a recent TAR due to damage of RA?
 
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Well it’s almost 18 months post TAR, and I still experience pain in my ankle every day. Some days I can walk almost two miles but not without experiencing pain from mild to about a 5 level and other days my ankle is very painful.

I had a Ct scan and saw my surgeon in Dec and he simply said keep doing what you have been doing. I can’t help believing that something is not right in the ligaments around the front of my ankle.
I have to admit that I thought I would be pain free by now, but not the case. It has become very disappointing to me. All I can do is hope that the pain will eventually subside.
I continue to vary my routine of bike riding, both stationary and ridding around town, plus my elliptical machine.
wish I had a better report.
 
@Larryr Sorry you are still struggling with this TAR. I guess all you can do is trust your surgeon and keep on trying. Is there pain when you cycle?
 
Very little to no pain while biking. My pain varies from day to day but when I have a good day and the pain is nearly gone I start feeling that I am finally getting over the pain, but then the next step it can go from almost no pain to where I have to stop for a moment before walking again. Whenever I sit down or get off my feet the pain stops entirely. very strange. The area of pain is directly in the front of my ankle where all the tendons/ ligaments seem to be.
I do think back and remember that my pain level has improved, such as when I would first get up from sitting for awhile it would hurt, but now that is not the case.
it could be that my age is a factor in that I am one of the older folks having had a TAR, so maybe it will take me two years to recover fully.
 
so maybe it will take me two years to recover fully.
I tend to agree - TAR is so complex. And depending on the condition of the joint pre-op you may have a longer journey.

Sounds like you have made good progress on being able to get more active. Cycling is great exercise. Our colleague @Roy Gardiner is an avid cyclist who has had both knees replaced.
 
Hi @Larryr, it was at least 18 months for me to get past some of that day to day pain up, then pain down cycle. I found my ankle had a very delicate balance early on, to some extent it still does. I found I would get sore and stiff if I didn't do much of anything, and if I did too much it complained too. 9 years later it still has some of the same characteristics, but the "good zone" is quite a bit larger. I've even been able to hike some serious terrain, but I wouldn't try it two days in a row.

To be completely honest my ankle will always be the one of three that holds me back. Ankles are not only complex, but they don't have near as many years of data for ankle replacement as they do for knees and hips. All in all though I would say I get between 80-85% of what my other ankle can do, and I'm not in constant grinding pain. That alone would have made it worth while. In 20 years when they have improved TAR tremendously, we will be the pioneers that led that charge my friend.
 
Thx Larry...I had an infinity TAR also and can relate to everything you have posted except at week five as of today I am still in a hard cast and have not taken a weight bearing step yet....really anxious to have to wait 9 more days....being on crutches is a pain...
Thx for your story
DAVID
 

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@Larryr..... I've sent you a personal message that you can access by clicking on the envelope icon in the blue tool bar at the top of your screen. Could you please read it and respond?
 
Update: August 29,2021. I have been negligent in updating my journey regarding my TAR. Due to no improvement in my ankle my surgeon and I decided to go back in and see why my ankle pain is not improving. On May19, 2021, 20 months after my TAR I endured another ankle surgery. Following this surgery my surgeon found some scar tissue, shaved some bone that might have caused some pain and replaced the plastic disk between the ankle and leg titanium sections.
I was in a soft cast for two weeks and then into a walking boot for one week. After which I was able to get into sneakers and walk at my leisure. No physical therapy was necessary and the pain I had been experiencing was almost gone. The surgeon told me at the two week post surgery that “I should have listened to you sooner”.
As of today, which is just over three months from my second ankle surgery I have much reduced pain while walking, exercising on stationary bike, and going up and down steps. I would say that the ankle experiences a stiffness vs the sharp pain previous to the second surgery.
I am very satisfied with the results of the second surgery and hope the stiffness continues to reduce .
My recommendation to anyone considering a TAR,is to go for it because the pain prior to my first surgery was debilitating and I had no choice. But if you experience pain beyond a year after surgery, don’t hesitate to make that clear to your surgeon.
 
@Larryr So good to hear from you. Thanks for the update! I'm sorry you had to endure more surgery but it sounds like a good result. Fingers crossed the stiffness continues to ease. Please keep us updated!
 
Glad to hear you are doing so much better @Larryr. Sometimes the journey is long, but pain free movement is so worth it.
 
Hi @Larryr : Thanks for sharing your journey. I am 71 very active like you. And like you I have chosen Dr Saunders to do my surgery. I would love to do a little deeper dive on your recovery and experiences with Tampa general. What would you do differently or better. I expect to have my surgery in early December. I would appreciate any additional insight /questions I should ask before actual surgery. Would you do it all the same or would you have made changes. Thanks. Paul
 
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Wish you luck on your surgery and hoping for your speedy recovery. Get well soon man.
And keep us updated
 

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