Must Haves After Ankle Surgery

With the number of ankle and foot surgeries steadily increasing in the United States, attention has turned to optimizing recovery and streamlining the rehabilitative process. While outcomes rely heavily on surgeon performance and patient compliance, there are several modifiable factors and assistive devices that can maximize your recovery and improve your functional independence post-operatively. Ready to learn more? Join us as we uncover the must-haves after ankle surgery that promote a safe and timely recovery.  

What do you need after ankle surgery?

Setting yourself up for a successful recovery after ankle surgery starts with a well-equipped and well-organized home environment. Ensuring your surroundings are safe and secure will minimize risks and complications and help streamline your recovery process. Between the energy demands of healing and the side effects of medications, patients often report brain fog, fatigue and low motivation post-operatively. Get yourself prepared beforehand so you can focus your attention after surgery on resting, recovering, and facilitating the healing process.

Have an upcoming ankle surgery? Consider stocking your home with the following items to improve post-operative comfort and outcomes:

Pain medication

Your surgeon or medical team will prescribe appropriate medications as needed, with recommendations for dosage and frequency to manage your pain. If prescription pain medications aren’t appropriate or desirable for your condition, discuss over-the-counter options that you can have ready at home to make your recovery as comfortable and manageable as possible.

Reusable ice packs

Ice can help with local swelling, inflammation, and pain relief. Reusable ice packs, frozen vegetables, or cold compression devices are all viable methods of cryotherapy that can provide significant relief following ankle surgery.  

Mobility aid

In most cases, expect to be placed on non-weight-bearing status following ankle surgery. This period of time allows repaired tissues to heal and bone to regrow prior to accepting the load of your body weight. Some physicians may prescribe a walker or crutches, but consider instead a crutch alternative such as the Freedom Leg which gives its users hands-free functionality from day one post-op.

Shower chair

The bathroom is one of the most dangerous places following ankle surgery, particularly considering the instability of axillary crutches. A shower chair can improve confidence and safety in the shower while protecting the surgical limb and reducing the risk of falling.

Grab bars 

 Similar to a shower chair, grab bars can be installed both in the shower and around the toilet to improve ease with transitional movements, showering and toileting and reduce bathroom-related injuries.  

 Food prepped meals

Healing is largely dependent on sufficient nutritional support. Prepping some high-protein meals before surgery can contribute to enhanced tissue and wound healing and give you some much-needed fuel to keep you energized during your rehabilitation process.

What crutches are better for non-weight bearing?

The best mobility aid for non-weight bearing status is one that allows you to ambulate safely and securely with added confidence that your surgical limb is protected. A cane is out of the question and traditional crutches require solid balance and stability in order to perform the single-leg hopping action required to advance the limb during walking. A wheelchair offers full offloading but limits independent mobility promotes disuse atrophy, and is nearly impossible to negotiate on stairs and in tight quarters. The Freedom Leg, the market’s leading crutch-alternative addresses all of the above limitations, giving users hands-free independence, top-of-the-line comfortability, full limb offloading and enhanced ease with stair-negotiation and long-distance ambulation. If you have to be non-weight bearing, get yourself a device that promotes freedom and independence so you can safely move through your recovery and get back to living.

How soon after ankle surgery can I walk?

Post-op weight-bearing restrictions vary widely depending on the individual injury, quality of bone, age, and involved tissues. For low-complexity ankle fractures, you may be weight-bearing as tolerated within a week or two. Conversely, a patient following a complex total ankle replacement may be off of their feet for upwards of 10 weeks. Regardless of your non weight-bearing assignment, it’s essential that you follow physician orders to protect your repair, ensure appropriate healing, and preserve your mobility for years to come.

How do I choose the right crutches?

Whereas ankle surgeries vary vastly in their complexities and structural involvements, choosing the right crutches following an ankle surgery is simple. Similar to any medical device, choosing the right crutches following an ankle surgery means finding the device that promotes maximum functionality and independence. For years, we have been brainwashed into believing that underarm crutches, canes, and two-wheeled walkers are the best options for post-op mobility. Why then do they limit our upper extremity use, interfere with stair negotiation, and greatly hinder our ability to complete long-distance ambulation?

The Freedom Leg is a must-have after ankle surgery. Offload your leg with state-of-the-art engineering, all while leaving your arms free to resume day-to-day functioning. Your ankle surgery is limiting enough- try the Freedom Leg, enhance your freedom, and get ready to catapult yourself back into independent living.

Benefits of Freedom Leg

The benefits of the Freedom Leg are extensive. Made of durable materials and integrating adjustability in each component, it is comfortable for patients of all shapes and sizes. Compatible with a boot, shoe, or cast it can be used for any knee, lower leg, or ankle condition that requires non-weight bearing status. Forget underarm sores and the limited applicability that comes with axillary crutches or the iwalk, and get the best hands-free crutch alternative that will keep you confident and independent while on the go. With more and more individuals seeking functional freedom and a quicker recovery process, it’s no wonder why so many are turning to the Freedom Leg.

Ready to regain control of your health and independence?  Head to our website home and get ready to ace your ankle recovery with the Freedom Leg.