Working With Your Podiatrist
Total Ankle Replacement Surgery For Chronic Ankle Pain: Is It A Good Solution?
Lillian Kelley
Do you experience ankle pain all the time? Has it been hard for you to walk or participate in activities because of the pain? When you live with chronic ankle pain, simply doing some walking can turn into a nightmare. If you do not want to feel this way for the rest of your life, discuss total ankle replacement surgery with your podiatrist. Getting the surgery could positively change your life by eliminating a lot of your pain.
What Happens During an Ankle Replacement Surgery?
During an ankle replacement surgery, any of the damaged bone that causes your discomfort is carefully removed and then replaced with artificial pieces that will emulate the natural bones. The artificial pieces are often composed of either a durable plastic material or metal. You can expect the operation to take less than three hours for the surgeon to complete. You will not necessarily notice an immediate difference after the surgery because you will likely experience some pain from the surgery. You will need to wear a splint around your ankle during the healing period. The healing period takes a month and a half. After at least six weeks have passed by, the podiatrist will remove your splint and have you walk around without it to see how your ankle feels post-surgery.
Is It Effective Enough to Eliminate Chronic Ankle Pain?
People with chronic ankle pain want to get serious relief. It is normal to question the effectiveness of total ankle replacement surgery. No one would want to go through with an ineffective procedure. However, getting an ankle replacement is a great solution for chronic pain sufferers that are tired of being unable to do things that they enjoy because of the discomfort they experience as soon as they wake up. The surgery is a great method of treatment for those who have ankle pain because of their arthritis. Most patients feel satisfied with the way that their ankle feels after they have given it time to heal from the surgery.
If it is hard for you to manage your chronic ankle pain, and nothing that you have tried seems to be working to reduce that pain, talk to your podiatrist about total ankle replacement surgery. The surgical procedure involves removing damaged bone and then replacing those pieces with artificial pieces. Because the surgery has such a high success rate, it is a great solution to consider when you are hoping to get some permanent relief.
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When you have an ingrown toenail, it can be tempting to take care of the problem on your own. Armed with a set of tweezers and some nail clippers, you might be ready to get in there and take care of business. Unfortunately, a few missteps could lead to a serious infection. I have made this mistake myself, and it almost cost me my toe. I hope that as you evaluate your own foot problems that you will remember how valuable a podiatrist can be. Your foot doctor can inspect your problem and recommend the proper course of action. Read through my website to learn more.