Nerve pain after 7 weeks of ankle fusion surgery , is it normal ?

Foot care
1

It’s actually very strange and I am worried about if it’s normal to have very painful nerve pain in the toes after 7 weeks of ankle fusion surgery, and had no pain at all in the ankle. 

Is it temporary and how long it might end ? 

2

I had pains in my toes where they was really like cramping and I had to wait for my toes to release themselves. I have had a triple arthrodesis and tendon lengthen in end July last year and I can’t believe I am still struggling to walk.😩I still can’t get my shoes on . Hope you feel better soon 

3

Hi mrsbodds 

Sorry to hear that you’re still struggling to walk, I hope you will walk soon. 

Was it nerve pain that you had in your toes and do you still have the pain ? 

4

Hello Mo, I had and still have the same problem.My Dr. Kept telling me it's normal. Unfortunately it's been 7 months and my toes still hurt, now I can't curl my big toe at all and I can't barely pull any of them back..Therapy hasn't helped me..

5

I’m not sure weather it was nerve but it could well have been. It does still happen but not as regular as it did when I first had it done

6

I can’t bend my toes either like yours I think maybe it’s something to do with the fusion.

7

I'm 4 months post surgery and no sign of the nerve pain ending yet. When you think of the damage done to the nerves it's a good sign we have pain as the nerves are coming back to life! At least that's what the Consultant told me. It's quite a brutal op and healing inside takes a long time. Sorry I can't give you better news but it's normal and it gets less frequent. Best of luck to you, hope for a speedy recovery for you.

8

Hi nicollette 

I have the same problem, I can’t pull all my toes back as well, do you take pain killers for it now ? 

9

Hi Lynne 

How painful is it with you now from 1 to 10 scale ? mine is 10 now and am taking pain killers all the time as when the surgery was new. 

Hope you get well soon too 

10

Dear Mo

I found that elevation and iced ace bs dates worked wonders for my ankle pain.

I'm about to have to go through the whole wretched business again very shortly as I'm booked in for a difficult revision of my five year old TAR in a few weeks time. Really dreading it!

Cheers Richard

11

Sorry for that but the phone took control! Should have read iced Ace bandages.

Cheers Richard

12

Dear Richard 

It’s actually a very hard and painful journey but we have to be optimistic about it and hope everything will back to normal. 

Best Regards 

Mo

13

Dear Mo

Yes I agree that it is a hard and painful journey and only someone who has been through it fully appreciates the pain, discomfort and frustration involved.   It is so much harder than a hip replacement which I've had and a revision too so I have a bit of an understanding!

To all intents and purposes I made a good recovery very quickly and just got on with quite a physical job so having done it once should give me confidence, but this time there is big damage from osteolysis to be dealt with and the trauma of replacing a badly positioned previous prosthesis with one of a different design.

I try not to think too much about it but I am somewhat apprehensive as to the outcome especially as I have been waiting for this for eighteen months now!   I am going in for pre. op. on Friday so the pressure is building now.

Cheers, Richard

14

Hi Mo

I'm so sorry you're at 10 I was there once or twice in the early days and the shooting nerve pain makes me want to swear but it's probably a 6 most days and on a really good day 4. I still elevate it as often as I can. My main problem is footwear and the right foot takes a size 7 now and the left is still a 6. Seriously if you're in so much pain I would try to get some medical advice. I had no idea when I went for this op just how long it will be to full recovery. When I get frustrated or its a bad day I think back to the pain I had before surgery, mine was done because of osteoarthritis, it was constant bone on bone, if the surgeon had said shall I remove it I would have said yes. Even though I'm not without pain it's a vast improvement. Let me know how you get on x

15

Dear RichardKen

I hope the best of luck for you and everything will end up with success.

When am feeling more pain, and feeling disappointed,I just tell my self as you said that I will appreciate it later to support my morals,  

Best Regards 

Mi

16

Hi Lynne 

It’s actually strange, what makes me worried is the new nerve pain after many weeks of the surgery, and I wrote a message to my surgeon so I am waiting for a reply and I have also an appointment with him on January the 30th. 

So hope there will be no permanent damage to the nerves. 

Best Regards 

Mo 

17

Dear Mo

True. I remind myself that I have done my research as well as possible and that there is no realistic alternative and concentrate on having a good outcome. The waiting I find difficult and knowing that the situation is getting worse as time goes on.

Cheers Richard

18

Dear RichardKen 

True, and I think your revision is tomorrow, I hope the best of luck for you, and let’s keep updated each other. 

Warm greetings 

Mo

19

Dear Mo

Many thanks, much appreciated. Tomorrow is the pre op and talk with my surgeon. I had a pre op five months ago and then the surgery was put off because the surgeon decided that he wanted to do the work in a different way. It was to have been done at the beginning of November so a delay of four very long months so I'm hoping that not too much more deterioration has taken place to my bones! If there is anything to report I will do so.

Cheers Richard

20

Dear Rechardken

Hope all works well for you. 

Many greetings