Postoperative Instructions

You will have had injections to numb your foot so that you are not in pain after the operation. This injection will wear off after 06-12 hours, so you must take regular pain killers so that you are not in severe pain when the injection wears off. The pain will settle over a few days. You will have a bulky foot dressing with wool and crepe. You may see blood stains on the dressings. This is normal and not a cause for alarm. If blood is dripping from the dressings however, return to hospital. Otherwise please keep the dressing intact for the first 2 weeks until the wound check is performed by the surgeon. Please make sure the dressing is clean and dry to reduce the risk of infection.

The foot will be swollen as well as sore. You should keep the foot elevated as much as possible for the first two weeks. Keep walking down to a minimum – going to the toilet or for meals. Letting the leg hang down will cause the foot to become more swollen. Most of the swelling will settle within the first few months, but swelling can continue for up to one year. If you are resting on your sofa, keep your foot elevated on the back rest or arm rest. If you are resting in bed, then place a few pillows under the foot to keep it elevated.

You have been given a special shoe (Orthowedge shoe) that does not allow you to put weight on the front of the foot. This is because the re-set bone is held together by two screws, and putting weight on it can dislodge the screws holding the bone. You should wear this continuously for the first two weeks, including in bed. After that, you should wear it whenever you are walking, even at home. Crutches are for balance only. It is recommended to use 2 elbow crutches while walking in the Orthowedge shoe.

The first post-operative wound check will be performed by the surgeon in the clinic, 2 weeks after the operation. The skin sutures are usually of absorbable material and hence they only need the ends to be trimmed and no need for suture removal. Please make sure you have been given an appointment or given the contact details for the 2 weeks post-op wound check appointment before you have been discharged from the Hospital after surgery.

After two weeks, you will be seen in the clinic for wound check. From this time onwards you will need to perform exercises to keep the toe mobile, as stiffness can easily occur. The doctor will usually show you the exercise,

You will be wearing the special shoe for 2 -3 weeks, and we will arrange 8 weeks follow up appointment. Our advice in general is not to return to work before 4 weeks, especially if you are on your feet all day at work. Most people can drive after 6 weeks. Remember that not everyone is the same, and some people take a longer time to recover from their surgery. Please request a sick note before you leave hospital, if you need one.

After 3 weeks you could wean off the Orthowedge shoe gradually. It can take another 2 weeks for you to start wearing a normal shoe. Sometimes due to the post-operative swelling this could take longer.

Complete recovery form surgery can take anything from 2 months to 6 months depending on swelling and post-operative complications

You will have had injections to numb your ankle, so that you are not in pain after the operation. This injection will wear off after 06-12 hours, so you must take regular pain killers so that you are not in severe pain when the injection wears off. Ibuprofen and Diclofenac should not be used for more than a few days after the operation as they can interfere with bone healing. The pain will settle over a few weeks. You will have a bulky ankle dressing with plaster back slab. You may see blood stains on the dressings. This is normal and not a cause for alarm. If blood is dripping from the dressings however, return to hospital. Otherwise please keep the dressing/plaster intact for the first 2 weeks until the wound check is performed by the surgeon. Please make sure the dressing/plaster is clean and dry to reduce the risk of infection.

The ankle will be swollen as well as sore. You should keep the foot elevated as much as possible for the first two weeks. Keep walking down to a minimum – going to the toilet or for meals. Letting the leg hang down will cause the foot to become more swollen. Most of the swelling will settle within the first few months, but swelling can continue for up to one year. If you are resting on your sofa, keep your foot elevated on the back rest or arm rest. If you are resting in bed, then place a few pillows under the foot to keep it elevated.

You will be non-weight bearing( not putting weight through the operated leg) for the first 6 weeks after surgery. This is because the re-set bone is held together by metalwork and putting weight on it can dislodge the metalwork holding the bone. You will be given 2 elbow crutches/ Zimmer frame to balance and mobilise by putting weight through the opposite leg. This can be challenging for some patients and they may require single floor living ( to avoid stairs), home adaptaions and wheelchair for the first 6 weeks.

If you are in plaster for a prolonged period, you will be at risk of developing a blood clot in your leg. You will be given injections to thin the blood to cut this risk down. These can be self-administered, even in the elderly. You can stop taking these as soon as you progress to a removable boot/ start weightbearing on the operated leg.

The first post-operative wound check will be performed by the surgeon in the clinic, 2 weeks after the operation. The skin sutures are usually of absorbable material and hence they only need the ends to be trimmed and no need for suture removal. No new cast/air cast boot will be applied after 2 weeks depending on the type of surgery. Please make sure you have been given an appointment or given the contact details for the 2 weeks post-op wound check appointment before you have been discharged from the Hospital after surgery.

You will be non-weigh bearing in a cast for six weeks, and we will arrange 6 weeks follow up appointment and Xray in the clinic on arrival. Our advice in general is not to return to work before this, especially if you are on your feet all day at work. Most people can drive after 12 weeks. Remember that not everyone is the same, and some people take a longer time to recover from their surgery. Please request a sick note before you leave hospital, if you need one.

After the 6 weeks appointment and check Xray, the surgeon will usually ask you to start partial weightbearing in an Aircast boot (removable moon boot). You could progress from partial weight bearing to full weight bearing in the Aircast boot over the next 6 weeks. Further check Xrays will be performed at 12 weeks postop to decide on bone healing.

Complete recovery form surgery can take anything from 4 months to a year depending on swelling, bone healing and post-operative complications

You will have had injections to numb your ankle, so that you are not in pain after the operation. This injection will wear off after 12-18 hours, so you must take regular pain killers so that you are not in severe pain when the injection wears off. Ibuprofen and Diclofenac should not be used for more than a few days after the operation as they can interfere with bone healing. The pain will settle over a few weeks. You will have a bulky ankle dressing with Air cast boot. You may see blood stains on the dressings. This is normal and not a cause for alarm. If blood is dripping from the dressings however, return to hospital. Otherwise please keep the dressing/plaster intact for the first 2 weeks until the wound check is performed by the surgeon. Please make sure the dressing/plaster is clean and dry to reduce the risk of infection. You will be given instructions by the physiotherapist on how to use the Air Cast boot

The ankle will be swollen as well as sore. You should keep the foot elevated as much as possible for the first two weeks. Keep walking down to a minimum – going to the toilet or for meals. Letting the leg hang down will cause the foot to become more swollen. Most of the swelling will settle within the first few months, but swelling can continue for up to one year. If you are resting on your sofa, keep your foot elevated on the back rest or arm rest. If you are resting in bed, then place a few pillows under the foot to keep it elevated.

You will be non-weight bearing ( not putting weight through the operated leg) for the first 2 to 6 weeks after surgery depending on the extend of surgery. This is to allow the healing process to happen. You will be given 2 elbow crutches/ Zimmer frame to balance and mobilise by putting weight through the opposite leg. This can be challenging for some patients and they may require single floor living ( to avoid stairs), home adaptations and wheelchair for the first 2-6 weeks.

If you are in plaster for a prolonged period, you will be at risk of developing a blood clot in your leg. You will be given injections to thin the blood to cut this risk down. These can be self-administered, even in the elderly. You can stop taking these as soon as you progress to a removable boot/ start weightbearing on the operated leg.

The first post-operative wound check will be performed by the surgeon in the clinic, 2 weeks after the operation. The skin sutures are usually of absorbable material and hence they only need the ends to be trimmed and no need for suture removal. Air cast boot can be weaned off after 2 weeks depending on the type of surgery. Please make sure you have been given an appointment or given the contact details for the 2 weeks post-op wound check appointment before you have been discharged from the Hospital after surgery.

After two weeks, you will be seen in the clinic for wound check. From this time onwards you will need to perform exercises to keep the ankle mobile, as stiffness can easily occur. The doctor will usually show you the exercise and also will refer you to physiotherapy for ankle exercises.

You will be non-weigh bearing in a cast for 2-6 weeks, and we will arrange 6-8 weeks follow up appointment. Our advice in general is not to return to work before 6 weeks, especially if you are on your feet all day at work. Most people can drive after 6 weeks. Remember that not everyone is the same, and some people take a longer time to recover from their surgery. Please request a sick note before you leave hospital, if you need one.

Complete recovery form surgery can take anything from 6 weeks to 4 months depending on swelling, bone healing and post-operative complications