Total Ankle Replacement Treatment and Recovery

 

Ankle Arthroplasty

Ankle Arthroplasty is also referred to as total ankle replacement surgery. This is the treatment procedure used to replace the cartilage and ankle bones with artificial or prosthetic materials.

This procedure is contemporary and has shown high efficiency in eliminating pain and enhancing the ankle joint mobility after they have been extremely damaged by arthritis or accident. Total ankle replacement treatment procedure is performed on an individual after all the other treatment methods have proved to be ineffective or do not accomplish the desired outcome.

Patients will often have many questions and concerns when the physician or orthopedic surgeon suggests that they should undertake ankle arthroplasty. Fracture care in Las Vegas has been made easy by the invention of contemporary treatment procedures. The arthroplasty is done when the patient is under the influence of a regional or general anesthesia.

The arthroplasty recovery time

The time taken during recovery after the arthroplasty treatment procedure is divided into several stages. During the first six weeks after the treatment, the patient will be required to wear a splint or boot at all times when moving around.

The first two weeks immediately after treatment, the patient should have no or minimal movements to allow the incision to heal. When the six weeks are over, the orthopedic surgeon or specialists in charge of your treatment will advise you on how to occasionally take the flint or boot off for physical therapy activities.

The time taken for the incision and joint to heal depends on the body of the patient and other underlying factors like the existing medical conditions, age, etc. For an accurate estimate of your recovery time, it is essential to consult your doctor.

Recovery preparation

The preparation for your recovery is not complicated, but it is an essential step that should be done in advance. The environment of the place or home where you will reside while recuperating should be easily accessible, especially during the first weeks when movement is restricted. The resting area should be easily accessible to other vital areas like the kitchen, bathroom, and toilet.

Prior to the treatment, the patient should seek additional help from someone else who will handle daily chores like taking care of pets, cleaning, transportation, cooking, driving, among others. There should be someone to drive the patient during the procedure and after the procedure till they have fully recovered.

The patient might require to be driven home after the surgery and a few other times in between recovery for checkups. Tasks like driving might be painful or affect the proper healing of the ankle joint if done before the area has completely healed and a go-ahead given by a doctor.

How to speed up the recovery time

The total ankle replacement procedure takes quite some time before one can painlessly restore the normal functioning of the ankle. The recovery process should be treated with the utmost patience and care to allow the joint and incision to have enough time to adjust and heal.

There are few tricks, however, that the patient can use to maintain a smooth and painless recovery. The first factor is ensuring that the inflammation is kept at a minimum during the two initial weeks; this is achieved by ensuring the foot is positioned above the heart when sleeping and resting.

It is also essential to make use of the tools provided by the physician to assist you in the recovery process like splints, clutches, or boots as they provide the ankle with support. The recovery tools should be utilized when the physician orders you to try walking without the help of those tools.