Just wondering if anyone has had this happen to them. i have had a subtlar joint fusion 10 months ago now am doing well other than some pain in that ankle when walking. my question is did anyone have numbness in the other foot around the bottom of the first few toes when starting to walk again? i find that i put alot of my weight to that foot and am thinking that it is from this. any ideas will this go away in time?????
thanks Pam......

Hi Pam
I am due to have a subtalar fusion any day now. Dr is just trying to find a podiatrist who knows how to do the procedure. I have had three previous surgeries to my ankle and wound up with nerve damage or peripheral neuropathy. In my case it will never go away and may get worse. With me, from the left ankle to the toes, I will lose sensation, like it has gone to sleep, and it will feel like pins and needles. On a regular day, my foot feels dull. If a sharp object is taken to it, I will feel it, but it won't hurt; whereas, I will feel the object completely in my right foot. The doctor might have cut into a nerve when he did your surgery, that is a chance that is taken. That nerve could heal ( there will be pain when it does ) or it may not. I hope for you that this will be your only surgery and that you heal completely.

Hi KSLITTLE;
I just read your post. Just got off the night shift so i hope that i make since.....hahaha...
the problem i am having is not in the foot that i had surgery on it is in the other foot (left one). I think it is because of the way i have to walk now i put alot of pressure on that side because of the pain i have in the right ankle (surgery) i have had two subtalar fusions in the right ankle and think that since i had been off of it for so long that i might never get the full recovery i thought that i would. and was wondering if anyone does the same????????
thanks for your reply. I do hope you find a good doctor to do your surgery i think it is really important that they know what they are doing if you find one pleasssseeeeeeee check him/her out to make sure him/her has done this type of surgery many times before i think that it is very imporatnat to your well being please don't go with just any doctor that says they can do the surgery i feel in the long run you would be sorry. there is alot of info on doctors on the internet these days i checked mine out this way (second doctor) and i feel that it really helped alot to know the doctors background it is very easy to find out. if you need help just ask...hope all works well for you please let me know i have been very anxious to see how other people are doing after this type of surgery it is a good thing to have people to talk with about it especially when they have been through the same things.......also i had a nerve removed when i had the second surgery because of the tingling feeling not sure how it happened but in the 2nd surgery the new doctor removed it sure makes alot of difference now that i no longer have feeling in the area of the scar from surgery i have to be very careful about things now. well thanks alot for your reply let me know how you do.............Pam.........

I have heard too many bad things about this surgery and I am on edge about it because I am also diabetic. I have already laid down the fact that this will be a one chance shot, ankle replacement has come up, and then if the damage is too extensive, a replacement will be done. I think once a year surgeries are a bit ridiculous. I had an arthroscopic in 96, a complete reconstruction in 01 ( this is when the dr cut into the nerve and the neuropathy started ), then a arthroscopic in 02 with a synovectomy. I have never had the problem with a loss of sensation in the other foot, but have had it to hurt because of putting excess pressure on it. In my case, I have sprained my ankle so many times ( over 200 ) that I have damaged the ligaments and finally tore all of theones connecting the calcaneous to the talus. I probably would have been better off if it had been broken.

Hi KSLITTLE;
WOW!!!!!! how have you managed to hurt your ankle so many times?????? I am definatley very careful these days sure don't want to go through what you have had to. sounds like alot;;;;;; maybe i should thank my lucky stars....My heart surely goes out to you...
is there anyway you can tell me more about tendon and ligament problems? i kinda think that is where i have most of my pain now achiles and peroneal (Ithink). I was thinking at work last night since i have no more side to side motion (sub talar fusion) how will the tendons and ligaments and not to exclude muscles ever beable to work right again. I seem to be ok as long as i don't sit down for to long of time. if i do then it is very hard to get going again i have figured it out about 8 to 10 minutes tops, then i have a hard time getting going again if longer than that. as for the feelings of numbness in the other foot (left) i really do believe it is because of all the pressure i put on it to avoid pain in the right foot. i go to see my doctor about this problem and also the ankle pain i am still having tommorrow hope he can get to the bottom of this if not i am not sure how long i will beable to keep doing the job i am in now. (gold mine Mill Operator) lots of stairs at least 500 in a 12 hour shift.is a very physical job also lots of bending and stretching. well better go for now one more night shift to do gotta get some sleep (yes) three days off.
thanks for your info.......Pam.........

I have something called inherited weakness of the joints, or massively double jointed. I have what is known as the gymnist or ballerina feet ( my body structure says otherwise )and I can flip over on my ankle with ease. After the synovectomy and arthroscopic I had a problem with tendonitis in my left ankle which was caused from several months of inactivity and then resuming activity. I went through PT and iontophoresis was done with great success. If tendonitis is suspected, this is what I would recommend you asking the dr about. I also have had iontophoresis ( this is were a steroid is pushed through the skin to the inflammed area by electroshock )done on a nerve to calm it down in my ankle also. This was a little more painful but worked. I have been throught the crap with this ankle and if a clinic hadn't messed up and sent me to a specialist with the first sprain which was a stage 3 sprain, I might not be here today with this thing. i sprained my ankle the first time in 1993. I can't believe that I have done this much damage to a joint, thankfully I have limited it to one joint.

Hi Kslittle;
It really sounds like you have been through alot some of it sounds very painful. I went to the doctor last friday he took some x-rays of both feet the right one is looking good as far as the fusion goes but i told him i still have some pain in the inside back area. he seems to think it is just still healing. as far as the other foot he wanted to make sure i never got a stress fracture he says just what i thought it is to much pressure on it he and i decided that it would be better if i decided to do something different for a job since it is such a physical job i have i just don't seem to beable to do it like i used to. to much pressure trying to stand and go up and down stairs all day (12hour) shifts i really thought that i could but i have realized now that i just don't have the strenght to do it anymore. will be going through voc-rehab now i guess just have to be patient now. it is going to be alot different for me. well better go for now keep me posted on your surgery take care.......Pam.....

I'm not allowed to work right now. I was substitute teaching and the dr didn't like that idea. If I had a sit down job then maybe he would have let me continue working. He also gave me permament handicap parking. I just wish that they would hurry up . I have been in a lot of pain and constantly rolling over from heal to the ankle.