You are home after foot or ankle surgery, the bandage is on, and every twinge makes you wonder if something is wrong. A short checklist makes that easier.
The signs to call about
Cleveland Clinic's page on total ankle replacement is direct about it: "Contact your provider if you experience any of the following complications after surgery".
- Ankle or foot swelling
- Fever
- Pus or a lot of blood draining from the incision
- Signs of infection
Notice that none of these needs a measuring tool or medical training to spot. You look at the foot, check how you feel, and look at the dressing. If one of them shows up, the instruction is to make the call.
What you can do yourself
The same page adds one more thing within your control: "You can reduce your risk of complications after surgery by eating nutritiously and not smoking." Both are habits you can start today, and neither depends on special equipment.
Keeping the surgeon's number close
Keep your surgeon's office number where you can find it, then watch the foot once or twice a day. When something on the list appears, call instead of waiting to see if it passes. Readers around Wood Dale who are unsure whether a symptom counts are better off asking than guessing.
Clots are another thing people read about before and after an operation. Cleveland Clinic has a patient page on deep vein thrombosis prevention, and a PubMed Central paper on stopping clots after orthopedic surgery is there for anyone who wants the research.
If you are getting around on crutches, one trial put two kinds of crutches side by side after foot and ankle surgery. For a general look at what patients are told, the foot and ankle patient information from Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust is another place to read.
A note for your first recovery
Recovery has a lot of unknowns, but your job is small: look at the foot, know the four signs, and ask when you are unsure. You do not need to be an expert to do that well.