Introduction

The decision to proceed with ankle replacement surgery should be made by you and your doctor only after you feel that you understand as much about the procedure as possible.

Once the decision to proceed with surgery is made, there are several things that may need to be done. Your foot and ankle surgeon may suggest a complete physical examination by your medical or family doctor. This is to ensure that you are in the best possible condition to undergo the operation. You may also need to spend time with the physical therapist who will be managing your rehabilitation after the surgery.

On occasion a therapist will begin the teaching process before the surgery to ensure that you are ready for the rehabilitation afterwards. This includes measurements of your current pain levels, functional abilities, and the available movement and strength of each ankle. A second purpose of the preoperative visit is to prepare you for your upcoming surgery. You?ll begin to practice using crutches since you will need to use these for several weeks after surgery.

Finally, an assessment will be made of any needs you?ll have at home once you?re released from the hospital. On the day of your surgery, you will probably be admitted to the hospital early in the morning. You will be instructed not to eat or drink anything after midnight the night before surgery.

You should plan on being in the hospital for one to two nights following surgery. How long depends on your progress with physical therapy, how much discomfort you are in, your ability to get out of bed, and success using crutches or a walker. To perform an artificial ankle replacement, you may be placed under general anesthesia, regional anesthesia, or you may have a spinal type anesthetic.

How your Primary Care Physician and Foot and Ankle Surgeon Work Together

Your foot and ankle surgeon will work closely with your regular medical doctor before and after your joint replacement surgery. An orthopaedic surgeon is an expert on the conditions that affect the bones, joints and muscles of your body. Your medical doctor is an expert on medical conditions, and knows a great deal about your individual medical needs during the preparation, hospitalization and postoperative recovery. Together, these two doctors will work as a team to decide if you need special preparation for surgery and whether you need to see additional specialists during this period. Before surgery, it is important that you arrange an appointment with your regular medical doctor as you are planning surgery so that he or she may alert your orthopaedic surgeon to any special needs that you may have.

If you have not had a complete physical examination recently, your medical doctor may suggest that you do so to ensure that you have no new medical problems that have not been identified in the past. This may reduce or eliminate some of the risks associated with the operation. Following surgery, you may be asked to make appointments to see both your medical doctor and foot and ankle surgeon to make sure that you receive the best care for your orthopaedic and medical problems.