Since you asked;
I had scheduled ankle fusion surgery about twenty years ago. Before I went in to have it done I happened to meet a guy who was complaining about the difficulties he was having with his prosthetic leg. I asked him how he came to have an artificial lower leg and he told me he had an ankle fusion surgery, there were complications which led to amputation. He told me, the prosthesis was very difficult to deal with and had he known where the ankle fusion would lead to he never would have done it.
After hearing that I canceled the operation. I have been dealing with the injury to the ankle and the subsequent deterioration for more than 30 years. My primary care doctor says I'm getting along fine with an ankle/foot orthotic, why take the risk associated with the procedure, which would be something called tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis. I have read the rate of complications may be as high as 56%!
But as the years go by, the ankle deteriorates more and more, the foot turns more on to its side, and the ankle becomes increasingly...deformed. I have to get a new AFO every couple of years to accommodate the changes and those things are not cheap! And, I develop pressure ulcers on my foot and ankle which then has me off my feet for six weeks or so to allow healing. First time that happened, I knew there was a wound but thought “well I can't stop working so I'll just keep it clean and covered.” That almost killed me, turned in to a blood borne staff infection that infected my spine (where I had a previous surgery) and had me hospitalized for 11 days, and then three months with a picc line and a pump for antibiotics.
Now it's to the point where the repetitive pressure wounds and associated risk of infection, the healing time in which I can't do anything, is to the point where I'm considering the fusion again. The Doctor who treats these recurring wounds is like, why in the heck don't you get this fixed? In fact this Monday I have an appointment for consultation with the surgeon. Another issue is, I have a spinal cord injury and the muscles on the back of both legs, glutes, hamstrings, calf muscles, don't function. So this whole thing is a mess.
I hope you don't have half the concerns I do and hopefully the procedure for you us a less risky one, but as you can see all of this is serious business and not to be taken without careful consideration. Good luck!
I had scheduled ankle fusion surgery about twenty years ago. Before I went in to have it done I happened to meet a guy who was complaining about the difficulties he was having with his prosthetic leg. I asked him how he came to have an artificial lower leg and he told me he had an ankle fusion surgery, there were complications which led to amputation. He told me, the prosthesis was very difficult to deal with and had he known where the ankle fusion would lead to he never would have done it.
After hearing that I canceled the operation. I have been dealing with the injury to the ankle and the subsequent deterioration for more than 30 years. My primary care doctor says I'm getting along fine with an ankle/foot orthotic, why take the risk associated with the procedure, which would be something called tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis. I have read the rate of complications may be as high as 56%!
But as the years go by, the ankle deteriorates more and more, the foot turns more on to its side, and the ankle becomes increasingly...deformed. I have to get a new AFO every couple of years to accommodate the changes and those things are not cheap! And, I develop pressure ulcers on my foot and ankle which then has me off my feet for six weeks or so to allow healing. First time that happened, I knew there was a wound but thought “well I can't stop working so I'll just keep it clean and covered.” That almost killed me, turned in to a blood borne staff infection that infected my spine (where I had a previous surgery) and had me hospitalized for 11 days, and then three months with a picc line and a pump for antibiotics.
Now it's to the point where the repetitive pressure wounds and associated risk of infection, the healing time in which I can't do anything, is to the point where I'm considering the fusion again. The Doctor who treats these recurring wounds is like, why in the heck don't you get this fixed? In fact this Monday I have an appointment for consultation with the surgeon. Another issue is, I have a spinal cord injury and the muscles on the back of both legs, glutes, hamstrings, calf muscles, don't function. So this whole thing is a mess.
I hope you don't have half the concerns I do and hopefully the procedure for you us a less risky one, but as you can see all of this is serious business and not to be taken without careful consideration. Good luck!
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