Ankle surgery rehabilitation: what is the right thing to do?
The success of any surgery relies primarily on the skill of your surgeon, your overall health, and your recovery period. What you do during your recovery period plays an important role in the success of your foot and ankle surgery. If you undergo ankle surgery in Houston, the recovery time will vary depending on the procedure you underwent, how quickly you heal and your overall health. So it is necessary that you take the right steps to optimize the healing process to shorten your recovery period.
Follow the post-surgical instructions
After you undergo ankle surgery in Houston, you will be provided with specific guidelines to follow as your foot heals. Remember that these guidelines are designed to optimize the healing process and reduce your recovery time, thus each of the points has a specific purpose. Therefore you should follow the instructions strictly and in the right order. These guidelines will let you know when to elevate your foot and how to clean the surgical site. In case you find anything confusing, you can contact your surgeon for clarification and avoid taking any chances.
Prepare a recovery zone Remember that rest is an essential part of the healing process. So make sure that you stay off your feet for several days. For this, you will have to set up a recovery station before your procedure, so that you can put all the necessary items within your reach. These items may include food and beverage, TV remote, crutches, cane, and other mobility aid suggested to you, and pillows to elevate your foot. You also need to ensure that you make your home easier to navigate, prior to your surgery. So clear a path from your bed or recliner to your bathroom, and remove or tape down throw rugs so that you avoid falling or slipping. Move any furniture out of the way, but make sure that you leave places to sit down quickly if you experience pain or lightheadedness. In case you live alone, you can request a friend or family member to stay with you the first day and night after your surgery. You can ask them to check on you several times a day, bring hot meals and run for supplies as needed.
Monitor the incision Ankle and foot surgery requires your doctor to create one or more incisions. Though you may feel nervous about looking at the incision, it is vital that you inspect the surgical site frequently and inspect the incisions for any signs of infection like swelling, redness, drainage, bleeding, fever, chills and pain that does not get better with medication. If you develop any signs of infection or other serious problems with the incision or on the surgical site, contact your surgeon immediately.
Stay ahead of your pain
At the first sight of pain, take a pain reliever right away. Thai is because if the pain gets to a certain level, it can interfere with the healing process. Relieving mild to moderate pain is easier than trying to get severe pain under control. Ensure that you follow all the instructions provided with your prescription or you may also opt for over-the-counter pain reliever. Immediately call the surgeon if your pain intensifies or becomes unbearable.
You may feel a bit emotional
Any surgery can take an emotional toll as it is a major event that can change the course of your life. Although foot and ankle surgery will improve your mobility and help you regain a normal life, the surgery and recovery phase are still stressful. Remember that you can experience a wide range of post-surgical emotions like stress from missing work or school, embarrassment or helplessness after relying on others, hopefulness of improved mobility after recovery, and frustration from limited mobility after surgery. Keep in mind that all these emotions are completely normal and can slow healing. To avoid this, find ways that can keep you busy. For instance, you can read books, surf the internet or solve some puzzles. If you feel overwhelmed, you can talk to a friend or family member.
To sum up
If you want to learn more about optimizing your recovery after your foot and ankle surgery, you can contact your surgeon for more detailed advice. You also need to make sure that you choose a clinic that can provide you with leading-edge medical and surgical management of your ankle and foot.