Question

How long does it take to walk again after ankle surgery?

Answer 1

After having ankle surgery it generally takes up to 6 weeks to be able to walk again.

After you can put weight on your ankle you will then be in a cast or a walking boot and it can make it difficult for you to get around.

After ankle surgery you should sleep on your back and lay straight on your back.

Also after ankle surgery your doctor will want you to rest as much as possible right after the ankle surgery.

Your foot will swell, and may become painful, when it is left hanging down.

So, when you are sitting or lying down after having ankle surgery you should be sure to keep the leg elevated to help keep the swelling down and reduce pain.

After ankle surgery you should elevate your leg for up to 14 days after the ankle surgery.

Since virtually all foot and ankle operations require rest and elevation of the operated foot for at least 2 weeks following surgery, it is rare that a patient will be allowed to return to work before 2 weeks following surgery.

Elevate the foot/ankle above the level of the heart, using several pillows, for at least 14 days after surgery.

Do not place pillows directly behind the knee.

Elevation for 30 minutes every 2 hours is a good initial recommendation.

The more you keep your foot elevated the less pain and swelling you will have.

If not elevated, you may feel throbbing pain and the bandages may feel tight.

To reduce swelling and promote comfort, elevation is very helpful.

Elevate the foot/ankle above the level of the heart, using several pillows, for at least 14 days after surgery.

Do not place pillows directly behind the knee.

Elevation for 30 minutes every 2 hours is a good initial recommendation.

For an ankle replacement, the surgeon removes the ends of the damaged bones and fits a plastic-and-metal replacement joint onto them.

In this procedure, the surgeon removes the ends of the damaged bones and fits a plastic-and-metal replacement joint onto them.

Answer 2

Sorry to revive this old thread, but I’m three weeks post-ankle surgery and just getting to the point where I can put a little weight on it. Still using the boot most of the time, but it finally feels like progress.

The first couple of weeks were rough, lots of swelling, pressure, and not sleeping great, but once I started light PT and gentle stretches, it eased up a lot. Dr. Christopher Sakowski said the recovery curve really depends on how stable the joint is after surgery and whether there’s any arthritis involved.

I was expecting to walk normally again by now, but it’s definitely more of a slow, steady climb. Keeping it elevated as much as possible honestly makes the biggest difference.