Achilles Tendon - Surgical Route. My story

Bones, joints and muscles
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Achilles Tendon - Surgical Route.

I ruptured my Achilles Tendon in May 2014 playing football.

I went to my GP after one week since football injury not realizing the damage I had actually done.

I was unable to lift of my tip toes which started to worry me and prompt me to call the GP.

During my GP Visit I was told to go to A&E right away, I was told by the nurse at Hospital I had a sprained ankle, this was the 1st week of June 2014. I asked for a scan but he declined.

I went to my GP the 1st week of July to see why my "sprained ankle" was feeling worse and painful. My GP did the Thompson test and explain something was seriously wrong and may be a Rupture in my Achilles Tendon and booked me in for an MRI scan at Warwick Hospital.

MRI Scan was booked in for a week later, (Mid July). MRI Scan showed full rupture between heel and calf muscle.

After Warwick Hospital decided to not contact me for a week I called in and they lost my paper work, then they lost more paper work after I returned forms. It was so bad I complained to the NHS.

Late August 2014 I was put into surgery for a date in September which I was unable to attend due to a Holiday I booked back in January 2014.

Surgery re-scheduled for 20th October 2014. Since operation I had been in a hard cast for 2 weeks, I was then in a fiberglass cast for a further 2 weeks.

I had the cast removed on the 19th November 2014 (4 weeks + 3 days)

I am now in an open boot that supports me as I can walk in this freely without crutches as i can fill with air pressure to support me. I am also able to take off during the night to sleep which is a massive bonus.

I will be taking this boot off on the 7th of January 2014 (7 weeks in total)

I have read and spoke to many people who have been on the same path to recovery as me. It seems many people have been given physio to do whilst in the boot and also they haven’t had the hard cast or open boot on for as long as me.

I am 24 years old I would think being younger than most people I should be the one having the boot on for a lot less time not the other way round as it seems.

I also wrote his so everyone who is going through the recovery of a Achillies Tendon (Surgery repair) can see what i have been through.

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Feel for ya J seems like you were misdiagnosed there a few times and 24 seems really young for a snapped achilles.when mine went in June i was told my tendon was showing signs of wear and tear i didn't think a tendon could wear out but then I'm in my fifties and I've been playing squash since I was twenty so perhaps i had it coming you will be fine young flesh heels well just be patient.

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Thats really bad diagnosis, and for it to be left with no treatment like that is terrible. It seems surgury is a preffered solution for younger people, but may to sept ... ouch. I self diagnosed my rupture via a bit of internet surfing and got an immediate refferal (5 days to appointment) with consultant, then straight into a air cast boot. Age 65 they'd prefer not to chop about. Now back walking with physio

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Sorry to hear your initial treatment was so appalling.  Never a good idea to rely on nurses for diagnosis but we all tend to believe what we are told and as you found when you asked for a scan, can be hard to get past the triage nurse. I went via the paramedics so was lucky to get a swift diagnosis from them.  You were right to put a complaint in as the nurse in a&e needs some basic training. It's not hard to work it out with that test your GP did. 

On the whole I would say you haven't bed in the cast and boot for a long time. 7 weeks total is pretty good from what I read. Most rehab programs I have read are between 9-12 weeks. It is still along time though :-(. Hopefully you back fighting fit soon. 

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I am trying to be patient, its not easy when i used to be in a football team, i boxed and i ran almost every night. I have got used to it but starting to get down about it all.

I see online "about 8 weeks since operation you should start to do streches, exercises and massageing" i am 9 weeks gone and the doctor told me no, its not my time to do this yet. I challenged him as he did say that i have made excellent progress on my 8 week post op check up. but once again he said no wait intill 7th of Jan.

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Well you would think a nurse moving my ankle about feeling my ligaments religiously, he did the thompson test and yet he didn't pick it up, he told me my ankle was sprained and ligament was "over stretched", how I don’t no?. Yes I complained to his face as well as the NHS trust I was fuming to be walking about thinking it was a sprained ankle.

Really 7 weeks is good in a open boot? i hear people are only in them for 4-6 weeks who have had the same surgery as me sad.

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ligaments religiously would find something, he did the thompson test*****

Sorry deleted a few words by accident

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J, sorry to hear about your situation dreadful negligence. I've done both AT's, one surgical and now conservative. You should ask for  AT repair protocol from your consultant. Modern day thinking has weight bearing from day 1 (my consultant us from this school of thought) with this protocol physio can commence from week 4 building as you progress.  Regardless of age it takes approx 8 weeks to heal.. I did my first one in my 20's and unfortunately had a v long rehab. Was playing basketball at a highly competitive level but didn't return to sport for 9 months and this was simply because I had no physio and hard casting the entire time. Only piece of advice I can give you is be patient do get a second opinion if you're not happy and listen to your own body! Best of luck! J 

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The patience and time it takes to heal is THE most difficult part, but its worth taking it gently and doing what you're told.. understandably not easy when they've messed you about allready

 

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I was in a boot (no op) 24/7 for 4 weeks, then a further 5 for weight bearing (off to sleep and wash) and start rotating and exercising movement, no weight 2 weeks into that. Most surprising is the time its taking for the calf muscle to get back into action. I'm walking and going to the gym, but i cant do a toe stand on the bad foot yet (12 wk+)

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Being stuck in doors and being messed about has got to me down.

I wish the doctor would listen to me when i say i feel ready for the next step. i can stech my ankle the same as my other ankle. Muscle is growing back, i can feel muslce in my leg now when i tense it compared to a couple weeks ago. That is why i wanted to start physio now try and progress abit.

The only reason i brought up age because my doctor said to me "being young, it is possible it will heal up quicker than most". Seeing its week 9 since opp and still in the boot i thought maybe physio would start sooner rather than in the new year.

I am talking to another doctor tomorrow for a 2nd opinion to see how i get on.

Thanks for the reply.

 

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So I got a 2nd opinion today via telephone (It seems doctors all have their own protocol - which I knew).

This doctor however said that his protocol post operation is as follows. Hard Cast for 4 weeks, followed by 4 weeks in the air boot which I am in now, not 7 weeks as my current doctors protocol is (which he said that’s a safety reason and begin 24 my Achilles will heal up faster so thought that seemed to long).

After the 4 weeks I would be sent to do a MRI scan to see the progress of my Achilles tendon and to see if it is the correct time to come out of my air boot

Physio soon as the air boot is off.

So I did ask if I could switch to his protocol which he declined due to him not performing the surgery.

I asked if I should be doing any physio whilst in the boot he said not to do any after surgery in till out the boot, I would only be doing physio if I had no surgery.

All in all I got from this my doctor is a bit of a pleb playing it way to safe. But i am 3 weeks away from having the boot off and the beginning of physio.

Roll on 3 weeks!

 

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Being 24**

(i type to fast for my own good)

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Are you in the air boot 24/7 now? I didnt have and opp, but was told i could take the boot off for sleep and non weight foot wiggling and range of movement exercises.

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Not 24/7 i take it off at night to sleep.

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Hi

Was glad to come across this forum and ur story .

I like u had a nurse miss my achilles tear ! I had surgery end of nov had tendon taken from big toe to mend gap in achilles 

I have had soft cast for two weeks then my hard cast on for four weeks I hopefully get air boot on 5 jan was wondering as ur soon out of urs how long does it take to get used to it and how far are u able to walk as I couldnt do stairs with crutches so have basically been housebound for 6 weeks hoping air boot means I can leave house more ! 

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I found it a big lump on the end of my leg.. made walking a bit lopsided. Ok with a single crutch to help with balance to start with. I was restricted to partial weight bearing for a few weeks, but kept with the crutch until I forgot to use it and left it at work! Supermarkets often have battery scooters and they are GREAT fun!

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Arr sounds fun as I have only left the house 3 times in 5 weeks looking forward to being more mobile at least if loopsided ! Hoping I can weight bear once in boot as been in cast 6 weeks but will see I suppose might have to look at scooters in tesco :-) 

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It just take much longer that I thought, although it was weeks rather than months to get mobile. The problem I had was the wretched boot was forcing a very odd gait.. think Quasimodo and you won't be far wrong... that made my hip ache etc etc.. !

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Hi Mason,

Sorry to reply 8 days later been rather ill.

Why they send a nurse to do an important job i will not understand so i feel your pain litterly.

When you first get your boot on (which is today, so again sorry for late reply) my reaction was "How the hell am i going to walk in this for 6 weeks" trust me it gets easier as time goes on.

After exiting hospital i walked home with crutches to support my balanced and get used to it. (normally a 5 min walk, took me 20 mins)

After the first day or two i was walking about without crutches in the house.

I would use the crutches on long walks for the first couple weeks.

I am in my boot now for the 7th week, i walk about with no problem at all easy as walking should be.

Stairs in the airboot was no problem for me.

I got alot of back pain at first but that eased off.