Podiatric Surgery
Joint Manipulation Under Anaesthetic Introduction
This leaflet will explain what will happen when you come to the hospital for a procedure to manipulate your foot joints under a local anaesthetic to try to help relieve your symptoms. Why do I need this procedure? Joints in the foot can sometimes become painful and stiff. This can be due to muscle spasm, misalignment of the joint, trapped tissue, or a tight joint capsule. Different types of arthritis and sports injuries can also cause joint pain and stiffness. A common treatment for joint pain is to manipulate the painful joint under local anaesthetic to help relieve muscle tension and improve the range of movement. The duration and level of benefit cannot be predicted.
What does the procedure involve? On the day of surgery you will be admitted to the ward and one of the nursing staff will check you in, take your blood pressure and perform any other tests that may be required. You should eat as normal as you do not have to starve for local anaesthetic. You will remain awake, but the area to be manipulated will be numbed. The surgeon will remind you of the procedure process and possible complications and ask you to sign a consent form. Your surgeon will numb your foot via a series of injections around the toe or ankle, or at the back of your leg above the knee. This is known as a popliteal block. If you have a popliteal block, your lower leg and foot will be numb and have no muscle power for up to 18 hours. This is used to relax any protective muscle spasm so pain is ‘switched off’, allowing the painful joint to be examined and moved through its range of motion.
Day vice
Your surgeon may inject a steroid into the joint. Steroid injections are used for a variety of foot problems. In some cases they cure the problem, and in other cases the steroid will help with your pain, but further treatment may be required.
How will I feel afterwards? Although long-acting local anaesthetic administered during the procedure should control most of the pain for about eight to 10 hours, you can expect some pain or discomfort after the operation. Painkillers will be discussed with you prior to your operation and you should bring these with you on the day of surgery. Recovering from the procedure Following this day-case procedure, you are advised not to bear weight through the foot and stay at home for the first 24 hours after the anaesthetic. Due to the effects of the anaesthetic, you should not drive for 24 hours. If you have had a popliteal block you will be given crutches to use until the anaesthetic wears off.
1 PSI-2406-1713-13