Achilles Tendon Surgery

Please keep your foot elevated above your Heart as much as possible for the first few weeks after your Surgery.

Pre Hospital

• If you have your own X-rays please take them to hospital
• No food, drink or smoking for 6 hours prior to surgery (you may have sips of water up to 2 hours prior to surgery)
• Notify The Clinic for Foot & Ankle Surgery if you have any cuts, abrasions or skin problems on the leg to be operated on.

Hospital

• Usual stay: Day Surgery or one night
• More severe cases ½ plaster backslab dressing first 2 weeks
• Physiotherapy to mobilise non-weightbearing on crutches
• Ensure you have a postoperative appointment on discharge.

What to Expect

1. Swelling - This is to be expected. Minimise this by keeping your foot elevated above your heart
2. Pain - You will receive a prescription for pain medication on discharge. Pain will be minimised by keeping your foot Elevated
3. Bleeding - This always occurs. You may notice some oozing through the bandages. If this continues in large amounts please contact The Clinic for Foot & Ankle Surgery. Keeping your foot elevated will minimise the bleeding.

Post Operative care of your Foot

1. Rest - Bed for the first two to three days with your foot elevated above the level of the heart. The foot should be elevated on 3 to 4 pillows
2. Mobilise only as necessary - Toilet and shower only. Do not put weight on the operated leg
3. Ice - An iced filled plastic bag placed over the foot or resting the foot on the bag helps ease pain and swelling
4. Pain medication - Take oral analgesia as prescribed when necessary
5. Do not wet dressing
6. Do not remove dressing.

Post Operative Appointments

7 - 14 Days

• Dressing removed and changed
• If necessary sutures are removed and ends trimmed
• Physiotherapy referral will be made. You may mobilise partial to full weight-bearing. Those patients who require a cast will have the ½ plaster back-slab changed to a full cast which will be worn for 6 weeks (you may still partial weight-bear in this cast).
• Continue to elevate and rest leg as much as possible
• >From 14 days you may shower and allow the foot to become wet but do not allow it to become soaked (i.e. do not sit with it in the bath). 'Dab' dry the skin rather than rub with a towel.

6 Weeks

• Cast removal and physiotherapy referral in severe injury

10-12 Weeks

• Final review

Expect

• 3 months to be fair, 6 months to be good, 12 months to be right
• 6 months for all swelling to cease.

Please understand that the post operative course varies with individuals and these are guidelines only.

If you develop a fever associated with an increase in pain and a discharge from the wound please call Mr Rosenfeld at The Fortius Clinic, also if you have any further questions.