calcaneal osteotomy and achiles length- recovery and numbness?a
Hello all, I apologize in advance if I am repeating questions on other threads.
I have two questions for you all. I am six weeks post op from calcaneal osteotomy, Achilleslengthenig and ligaments repair. My first question is regarding recovery times. What can I expect? How long before I should be able to exercise and run again? What about walking and aerobic exercise?
My second question is about numbness. Since surgery I have been numb under and around my heal and the entire left side of my foot, including the top and bottom. The doctor said this was nerve damage and feeling would likely not return. It is painful to even gently tough the top and side of my foot as it is so sensitive. Has anyone else experienced this severity? I am just getting to the point where I can move my last toes, but only slightly. Has this affected anyone's ability to walk after the surgey and does this severe sensitivity go away?
Thank you so much for any experience you have to offer!
Re: calcaneal osteotomy and achiles length- recovery and numbness?a
While I have not had your specific surgery, as you can see from my other posts, I blew up my calcaneaus and did damage to my heel requiring the same basic recovery.
I can tell you that I had numbness for over four months before I started to get feeling back on the outer blade of my foot top and bottom. This is going to sound completely ignorant, but don't count that area dead for at the very least one year. Nerve damage repair happens extremely slowly. I had nerve damage from a back injury that left my left leg and foot numb in two places... it took a full two years to heal back to 100% with no indication of ANY sensation at all until the 13 month mark.
Re: calcaneal osteotomy and achiles length- recovery and numbness?a
Oh, I forgot to mention some very key information...
The vast majority of your problems are going to be a result of swelling. You are going to think and say that the swelling is gone after about 2 months, but you will be wrong. The area will feel completely normal, but inside there is still pressure on the nerves and a ton of healing left to go.
I am guessing you don't have the trauma related problems I had, but I can't figure out how it could be any less of a recovery in the foot area, other than the fact that the pad of your heel wasn't destroyed. That alone though, means you will be MUCH, MUCH more likely to run again because you won't feel like you are landing on a thumb tack all the time.
Re: calcaneal osteotomy and achiles length- recovery and numbness?a
Relevant information:
My age: 26
Health: good
Note: Feel free to ignore my post if you are either significantly older, or perhaps not so healthy, as these factors can significantly affect healing time.
I recently had, about a month ago, the exact same procedures done to my foot--achilles lengthening, and the osteotomy. I have had almost no pain, and the swelling in my foot has decreased dramatically since my surgery--although the swelling reduction could be related to the pins they removed from my ankle. At two weeks post-op my doctor took out my stitches and had me standing on my foot (obviously supported by crutches), but told me that I should be walking on it. Hopefully I will start PT in the next week or so, and then work my way to full weight bearing soon. So in my case, my expected recovery time won't be very long at all (at least until I can start walking again--I have a host of other problems that need to be addressed in PT before I can run again).
As for part of the tenderness, it could just be that you have to desensitize that area of your foot again. Its been 14 months since I had a few of my surgeries and I still experience discomfort touching those areas (mostly the donor site for a surgical flap). When you touch those areas that hurt does it just feel extremely awkward, almost like the worst "pins and needles" you've ever felt? If so those areas likely need desensitization--which is not fun, but luckily doesn't take more than a few weeks to fix the brunt of it.
