Post-Surgery Care and Recovery
During the formal surgical consultation, prior to surgery, all pre and post-surgical care instructions are reviewed in great detail. An information packet is sent home with the patient as well.
Often patients with multiple foot deformities may have more than one corrected at the same time. In selecting the procedure or combination of procedures for each particular case, Dr. Stanford will take into consideration the extent of the deformity, the number of toes involved, the patient’s age, activity level, and other factors. The length of the recovery period will vary, depending on the procedure(s) performed.
General Care Instructions
Patients should always refer to their post-operative care instructions packet, HOWEVER... when in doubt, call the office! The doctor and staff are always eager to help post-operative patients with their concerns.
These are the other general guidelines to follow when recovering from toe or foot sugery:
- Always take the prescribed medication(s) as instructed.
- Icing and elevation of the foot is recommended during the first week to prevent excessive swelling and promote healing.
- It is also important that the sutres and dressing be kept clean and dry to prevent infection.
- Strict usage of the post-operative surgical shoe will keep the site immobilized during critical healing time and protect it from accidentally being hit or injured.
- Two weeks after the surgery, the sutures are removed. Patients can shower/bathe as normal.
- Approximately one month after, a wide athletic shoe can replace the post-operative surgical shoe. Patients can then gradually increase their walking and other physical activities as per Dr. Stanford’s guidance and instructions.