Traumatic injuries and degenerative complications on your ankle can lead to a Katy foot and ankle surgeon recommending an ankle replacement procedure. This aims at minimizing pain, restoring your mobility, and improving your life’s quality. The treatment option being a surgical intervention requires more preparations, including recovery preparations, as it might take several days before you get back to normal life. However, understanding what to expect can help you make better prior arrangements to facilitate your recovery and make it faster. Although the experience is different for every patient, here is how your recovery can look like.
Immediately After Surgery
Your ankle replacement treatment will take about two hours, and you can receive a general anesthesia or nerve block to keep you pain-free during the operation. You will experience numbness on your leg for about eighteen hours during and after treatment. When the numbness ends, you might experience some pain, but you can relieve it through medicines or Iv therapy. Your provider will cover the incision with a dressing, place a soft splint in the front, and a hard splint on the back to allow your ankle to swell but avoid injury.
Your Stay at the Hospital
You will probably spend your first two days at the hospital after your ankle replacement. There is little to worry about during this period as you will be under the watch of your provider and other practitioners at the hospital. The medical team assigned to you will help you begin your recovery by asking you to get up and start moving soon when appropriate. They will also help you know if you need crutches and teach you how to use them as it would be good to take off weight from your ankle.
Leaving the Hospital
You will leave the hospital when pain is under control, and you can move around safely with walking aids. Although every patient’s experience varies, you will leave the hospital after 2-3 days, and you might go home or be sent to rehab to learn how to go about your daily life once at home. It is important to have prepared your home to be recovery friendly as you might not do much for the repairs by the time you leave the hospital.
At Home
The care is in your hands from the hospital, and anything you do is critical to your recovery. Therefore, follow your doctor’s directives carefully to ensure all goes well. Take your prescription medications accurately to relieve pain, and consult your doctor about any over-the-counter medications you might consider for mild symptoms. Sleep with a pillow beneath your leg to elevate it above your heart to minimize swelling and promote wound healing.
Personal Hygiene
Your hygiene plays a significant role in your recovery, and you can consult your doctor about how to go about it. This is because your bandage should remain clean and dry, and some practices such as bathing can wet it. Your provider will help you know when to shower and show you how to cover your bandage with a plastic bag.
Resuming Your Activities
Please take it easy with your recovery and resume your activities gradually as you heal. Getting back to work depends on the nature of your job, as you might need more time for your recovery if your work is more physically demanding.
Reach out to Katy Foot & Ankle, PLLC, to learn about ankle replacement surgery. Your provider will offer some helpful tips to aid your recovery and help you get back to your quality of life.
