I went through my first ankle surgery yesterday. The diagnosis had been recurring peroneal tendon subluxation and he intended to repair the torn tendon and deepen the groove that it sits in.
However, once the doc began the surgery he saw that the tendon had not only been torn but was flattened and that is why it wasn't staying in place. He also removed some excess muscle that was attached to the tendon. He says that the excess muscle and the way it was attached probably has a lot to do with a lifetime of "weak ankles."
I've never heard of such a thing....excess muscle on the tendon? Has anyone else ever heard of such a thing? I think it's weird.
Also...on to my questions. My toes are still slightly numb (it's been 36 hours since the surgery)...is that normal? When should I expect to feel them totally again.
The other question (ok, maybe there aren't "lots" of questions)...I started out taking vicoden and my doctor gave me a Rx for percocet just in case it didn't work. The vicoden wasn't doing it for me so I switched to percocet this morning. Unfortunately, the switch between them meant I was no longer "ahead" of the pain and now I am trying to get ahead of it again. Is that possible or am I always going to have to deal with discomfort and just have the meds soften the pain?
You should catch up to the pain. If you can take a pill every 4-6 hours, just stay at the 4 hour mark. Also, make sure to eat something when taking them. it helps them be more effective, and should hopefully lessen the effects on your stomach. Good way to catch the pain, try and sleep through it if possible. Might be easier said then done, but if you can, try it.
As far as the toes being numb... make sure to keep wiggling them. Since you're not really using them they may kinda stay asleep, so try and move them around every couple minutes and it should help you regain the feeling.
About those toes... Mine stayed numb until the about 72 hours later and I was wiggling them a lot. Some of the numbness may remain because you are not moving around a lot. Your toes being numb means that there is still some numbness in the ankle area which is a good thing. When my toes finally got feeling I was hurting all over again. The pain will get less and less especially at the 3rd or 4th day.
As far as extra muscle, never heard that either. don't worry about it too much. You'll drive yourself crazy. Just keep track of the questions and ask at your post-op appointment. Not much else you can do.
I'm on day 18 and day 5 in my cast. Starting to actually feel more comfortable with my foot not elevated all the time and I can put some weight on it. It still has some sore moments, but nothing requiring more than some Advil. Keep plugging along. You'll get there.
Hi, whpstick.... : ) I don't know about the excess muscle on the tendon, but I can give you my experience with your other questions.
1 - I had surgery (bunionectomy) 21 days ago and parts of my toes and foot are still numb. I'm slowly starting to get the feeling back, but it does take time for the nerves to regenerate, or whatever they do. Don't worry too much about it - it's normal.
2 - Percocet works better than vicodin for me, too. Take the max you can until you get caught up to the pain. It shouldn't take too long. Like cj1986 said, take it every 4 hours, and take 2 pills rather than 1, if you're allowed. But make sure you eat something, because you may get an upset stomach.
Good luck with your recovery, and if you have any concerns, call your doctor. That's what they're there for!
