What are the Common Questions About Foot Surgery?

Many of the patients we see every day have foot or ankle problems that can be treate with non-surgical, conservative care. Sometimes foot surgery is require to treat pain, correct an injury, or remove a deformity.

There are Many Questions Surrounding Foot and Ankle Surgery. Here We Address the Top 10.

1. When should I consider surgery? Surgery can be considered if you have severe foot pain or a deformity that affects your ability to walk comfortably in shoes and do daily activities without discomfort.
2. How much time does it take to do surgery? An hour is the average time for foot and ankle surgery. Complex trauma and reconstructive surgery for severe deformities can take up to 3 hours.
3. Does it hurt? The pain of your procedure is minimized with local anesthesia, and in most cases mild sedate. All procedures will cause some pain afterward, so be prepared for discomfort. You can reduce this discomfort by resting, elevating your foot, and icing. To ease pain, you may also need to take pain medication. Most people only need pain medication for a few weeks. After that, they can switch to over-the counter medications such as Advil or Tylenol to relieve their discomfort.
4. Will I be awake during surgery? Our team works closely with anesthesiologists to make sure you are comfortable and have no pain during surgery. Some patients prefer mild sedation to be relax. Think of “twilight sleeping”. Some procedures and patients may require total relaxation. We use local anesthesia by injection for all patients to relieve your pain and keep you comfortable while you sleep.
5. Where will my surgery be performed? Most surgery is perform in a hospital or surgery center. Outpatient foot and ankle surgery is the most common. This means that you can go home the same day as your surgery. Some patients may need more monitoring after surgery and may be require to stay overnight in hospital.
6. How long does it take to recover? It depends on what type of surgery was perform. These will be discuss with your surgeon during your preoperative assessment.
7. How long will it take to get off work? Most cases, it will take 1-2 weeks. After having surgery on your right leg, you can’t drive until you have returned to normal shoe gear and feel comfortable pushing the pedals. The same applies to right and left foot surgery if you drive a regular vehicle.
8. Is surgery covered by my insurance? Although each insurance plan may differ, most surgeries are cover at a percentage after a deductible has been met. Before you have surgery, discuss your deductible and coverage with your insurance company. We will call your insurance company to confirm this information. However, this is only an estimate of coverage. To find out more about your coverage, it is worth calling your insurance company directly.
9. How many will I need? This question brings a smile to our faces because the more you have, the more complicated the surgery might have been. This is false. We use a suture technique which places one long “stitch” under the skin to create a cosmetic scar. This suture is usually absorbable so it doesn’t need to be remove.
10. Can surgery correct my problem? While there is no way to know for sure, it is common to perform surgery to correct a deformity or relieve pain. Your surgeon will discuss any potential complications that may arise after surgery, particularly if you don’t follow the instructions or a sudden event occurs.

A qualified and highly-trained foot and ankle surgeon can perform successful foot surgery in Perth. The patient must follow the post-operative instructions. These answers will hopefully help you to relax and feel at ease.

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