What to Expect During Your Recovery After an Ankle Surgery?

Surgery can be a painful process with a long recovery period. But being equipped with adequate information about what will happen during the surgery and how you can make your recovery as easy as possible can make a huge difference. Recovering after any surgery can be a challenging thing to do, especially when your ankle has undergone surgery, as it is utilized in your daily activities. But following the post operative instructions given by your doctor after ankle surgery will make the process easier.

Day of The Surgery

On the day of the surgery, it is recommended that you get someone to drive you home after the surgery since you may feel a little dizzy due to anesthesia and may experience some discomfort. Remember that having a good support system is extremely important, especially on the day of the surgery. Also, pay attention to the postoperative instructions and ask your doctor for ankle surgery in Houston if you have any questions before heading home.

After getting home, you will feel tired and experience pain around your ankle. Immediately rest, elevate, and ice your ankle. Make sure you drink lots of fluids and eat food that is easy to digest. You need to spend a lot of time relaxing. Also, ensure that you stay on top of your pain medication; getting behind on it can increase your pain.

The First Week After Surgery

The first week after your surgery can be challenging due to the discomfort. Your daily activities will also be limited, and this restriction can take a toll on you mentally and physically. So stay positive and focus on the positives of the surgery. Plan on taking two weeks off from work to allow your body to recover the way it needs to.

Make sure you are well aware of the postoperative instructions about the stitches, bandages, and cast. Don’t remove them or irritate the area without the instructions from your doctor. These things are there to help you heal free of infections, so it is important to follow these instructions.

It is also essential that you eat a balanced diet and drink a lot of fluids during the first week. Consume a lot of fiber as it will help your gastrointestinal tract. Since the anesthesia and pain medications can cause discomfort and constipation, you need to eat a balanced diet with a lot of fluid to minimize the risk.

The First Month

You may have 1-2 appointments with your surgeon by the first-month post-op, during which they may change the bandage, remove stitches, and also encourage you to start physical therapy. However, this is a general overview and may not be followed for every type of ankle surgery. You can ask your doctor for more specific details. After a month, the pain will be a lot better, and you will feel more like yourself. But you will still need to be extremely careful and kind to your ankle.

You will continue to do range-of-motion stretches for your ankle, recommended by the physical therapist, which will help rehabilitate your ankle after surgery. You will also need to continue regularly ice, elevate, and add compression to your ankle.

Summing Up

In case you have any more questions about your recovery after ankle surgery or are looking for specifics on your surgery, you can ask your surgeon, who would be happy to answer all your queries. Make sure you follow the post-surgery instructions given by your doctor to have a healthy and quick recovery.

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