<p>I have been having pain in my right foot for months which eventually led to limiting my mobility, etc. After seeing a couple different docs, it’s confirmed through x-rays and hands-on exam that my ankle is mechanically unstable and surgery is required. </p>
<p>The kicker (please excuse the pun! ) is that since I have been wearing a rather impressive and stylish brace on that ankle, it feels pretty darn spiffy. However, I understand that the joint will deteriorate over time and the surgery won’t get any easier. </p>
<p>You can guess what my job is from my screen name, so I am putting this off until after Christmas. I understand the recovery from this is not much fun (have found all sorts of web sites), but wondered if anyone here has had this done or know anyone who has. </p>
<p>Are you talking about moving tendons around?</p>
<p>My dad hand that done and it was the best thing that ever happened to him. He was nearly unable to walk. He had the surgery about 15 years ago and has been highly mobile ever since.</p>
<p>If it’s something besides moving tendons around, then I don’t have any experience.</p>
<p>Yep, that is what I am talking about. At least I think so. The doc told me he will be tightening the ligaments in my ankle and also doing other stuff as needed…</p>
<p>Your dad’s experience goes along with other things I have heard and read, so thanks…</p>
<p>Agree wit GT, I would give PT a try.
Are you obese?
Excessive weight and poor mechanics because of obesity affects how you walk and taxes your feet, ankles, hip alignment.
Even if you are only 10 pounds overweight, I would suggest you get drop any excessive weight, work on flexibility, start conditioning and strengthening your upper body so you will be able to use crutches easily, move yourself around in bed and bathroom.
Pilates and yoga are great for balance and strength, lifting weights with a concentration on upper body, all could benefit you pre surgery.</p>
<p>Thanks, Batllo and GTalum! I have indeed been going to PT and am continuing to work on lowering my weight and increasing strength and balance, etc. I am not grossly obese, and my typical lifestyle is to be very active. That is one big reason that I need to have this done.</p>
<p>Thing is, that ankle has been severely sprained several times, and now x-rays with the ankle “stressed” over show an 18 degree angle of separation between the bones of the joint where there should only be zero-to-two degrees. No amount of muscle toning will change that, and the joint is subject to developing severe arthritis in the future because of it. </p>
<p>This all got exacerbated because I had to have the OTHER knee “scoped” last March to remove some pieces of loose cartilage. During recovery, I naturally “favored” that leg, and then did a lot of painting (up and down ladders and such) a couple months after the surgery. I developed a lot of pain in that foot, never really thinking about the ankle being the issue. It was, in fact, my PT who noticed the ankle was swollen. It is pretty chronically that way, so I did not even notice. My foot doc then did the clinical exam of the ankle, took the stress x-ray, and put me in the brace and said I needed surgery. It totally freaked me out and was absolutely unexpected, so I asked for names of orthopedic docs that my PT really respected and went to see one of those for a second opinion. </p>
<p>THAT doc demonstrated, very clearly, how one ankle goes in ways it just should not go. Kind of freaked me out, actually, though it did not hurt. THose tendons are just really stretched, torn, or might be non-existent in the case of one particular one. </p>
<p>This may be to late. I am sitting on my couch having had ankle stabilization. The tendon follows the same path as the old one anchored with a couple of screws. To early to say how it will turn out. I am keeping a blog of my surgery and recovery here:</p>
<p>anjury, mine turned out great! However, in the process of keeping weight off THAT foot, I have now developed really bad arthritis in the OTHER foot. Good grief! So I have so far lost around 16 pounds (though the doc did not say that would really help, I figure it has to!!) and am taking meds as I have to for the pain. Eventually, he says I will have to have some of the bones in that foot fused… berg. Don’t want to go there any time soon!</p>
<p>The Brostrom procedure worked like a champ, though! </p>
<p>I kept a blog as well…I will send you the link in a PM…</p>
<p>Good luck with your recovery. Elevate, elevate, elevate!!! :)</p>
) is that since I have been wearing a rather impressive and stylish brace on that ankle, it feels pretty darn spiffy. However, I understand that the joint will deteriorate over time and the surgery won’t get any easier. </p>