This is my 2nd day maneuvering with my walking boot. I have a photo of the hardware holding my ankle together. After all these years w/o any major mishaps, how did I get so unlucky to have a tool kit in my ankle. The biggest plate is about five inches long in the outside of my left ankle, and the smaller one about 2 inches is in the inside. I have 8 screws holding everything together. So three times a day I ice my ankle, do my big toe ABC's and gentle rotation. HOWEVER, my injured ankle is larger than my right ankle. Is that normal, will it go down? I ordered a stable cane to replace my crutch, but I feel my ankle will never be the same. I'm trying not to get depressed over never having the same mobility, but it is what it is. Does the pain from the plate recede?
Hi Mary, I was wondering how far post op you are. As the time goes on everything you mentioned should get better. My doctor told me just told me a few days ago that about 1/3 of the time they have to remove hardware because of the pain/irritation it causes. This procedure seems to vary from country to country and between doctors as well. I'm in the US and it is standard to leave hardware in of there are no problems. I actually had two of the screws from my plate removed two days ago due to pain. I am just over 5months post op. They are hoping that this surgery will solve my pain but they will go back in to take the whole plate out in a couple months if needed. So that is always an option for you but give it time. My right ankle the "fixed one" is also much bigger than my left. Doctor said that swelling and stiffness are normal for up to a year possibly a little more. So your ankle being bigger than the other one at this point is very normal.
Good luck in your recovery :-)
I'm just 6 weeks post op, even tho it seems longer. My doctor said the hardware could stay in for my lifetime, but if it hurts now and is so stiff I think I'm going to have it removed next January. Did you find yourself getting tired very quickly in the beginning, because by night I'm exhausted.
At 6 weeks post op I was still very tired and in a lot of pain. I was in a walking boot like you but still no weight bearing. I got released for partial weight bearing in the boot at 9 weeks and told to advance as tolerated. I started pt and full weight bearing at 11 weeks I believe it was. When I first started walking it seemed like I had to walk a mile just to get to the kitchen. I found that even very simple tasks took forever and we're very exhausting. Sometines even more so than when i was on crutches, which i didnt think was possible. Many days I took a midday nap just so I could have some energy for the evening.
What your feeling is very normal and it sounds like you are making good progress in recovery. This is just my personal opinion, I'm not a doctor, but I think you are too early in your recovery to be worried about hardware removal. The stiffness and swelling are the last things to get worked out and at 6 weeks the bones have not even fully fused back together. They are good but still have more healing to do. I know it's hard, trust me, but it's a waiting game. The soreness, stiffness, and tiredness will lessen with time. Just keep stretching and moving and things should get better.
If you are very concerned then ask your doctor. My dr took several x-rays to co firm that the screw weren't coming loose when I started having significant pain at 4months post op. My screws were just too close to the skin. They were actually visible through my skin which only became a problem after swelling had been significantly reduced.