Living with an ankle fusion and subtalar fusion--Any advice?

4 years post Subtalar fusion and I knew from the start that something wasn't right .but I was battling the huge ego of the dr who did the surgery who kept saying wow it looks great, better then we thought it would be at this point. mine was done with a cadaver bone a huge screw about 4" long .I was none weight bearing for 4 months then the boot and then off to rehab ...well my insurance at the time was not to good so rehab was three visits to a guy who said ok walk ..well it took me way longer to be able to even put any weight on my foot let alone keep up with what was expected regardless of how hard I tried. I have had several severe injuries and surgeries and had to learn to use injured areas but this was just not working. I kept telling the surgeon hey something is not right and would get the same answer every time oh its looking fantastic in the x-rays youl just have to tuff it out so I tried n tried but couldn't get a stride that didn't cause horrific pain swelling turning black n blue..after more then 16 months I was barley able to walk any more then maybe 50 yards without 3-4 days of agony swelling ...so right at the 2 year mark I seen the surgeon/ ankle specialist and he said well it has healed beautifully saying he did a perfect job and it was just me and asked if I was trying for disability ......well last month after four years of pain and immobility and no quality of life as far as walking I got new insurance seen a new dr in 10 minutes and two xrays he tells me oh there is partial non fusion, misalignment and now I need to have the rest fused meaning the ankle ...now I know it was bad before the first surgery it had been broken several times and was useless I couldn't bear weight on my foot at all. but for the four years post op it wasn't really any better so I was reluctant at first to even consider this ankle fusion but the hope and the possibility of being pain free have lead me to decide that I will try one more time and if it is like the first time ....omg well cross that bridge when I get there I just pray for a good outcome .my point in all of this rambling is to do your research know who is cutting on you and if you feel its not right don't let them say oh its doing great ....read learn and research to the point you know it as well as they do ....and beware cuzz they sell it like a used car

I have had 15 surgeries on rt ankle and now have complete fusion, I am just starting to put weight on foot, all that moves on rt foot is toes.
I have an awesome surgeon at Vanderbilt in Tn, that fixed all the stuff other doctors messed up. my ankle problems started in 1986 when I fractured talus and tibia in a work related accident, ankle got fixed but had problems in 1996 with same ankle due to a different work related accident, hence 15 surgeries later

I was in a car accident 4/9/2011. I had a open fracture of tibia i started with 11pins and a plate all holding this together... About a month and a half later i experienced my first bone infection. They removed all my metal (screws &plate) n back into a cast i went. As I had a huge hole in my leg i had a skin graft in wound vac placed to help this heal. After it "healed" i had a small area that would bubble up then ooze icky stuff. Plastic surgeon wanted to go in and check it out ortho doc said no... 8 months later found 2nd bone infection. My bone was squishy so they cut out the 1 1/2 inches of my tibia and placed an Ilizorov external fixator. This slowly moved my tibia down to meet with my ankle to fuse all while growing new bone at top of tibia. I wore the fixator for 18 long months. Now they say after almost 4 years of fighting to keep my foot that it is all healed however now i have pain in my subtalar joint. Still on 2 crutches doc says i should be off since it's been almost 4 years. He is sending me for a shot of lidocaine hopefully this will end that pain he talked of fusing my subtalar but is also talking about amputation. Scary thought. Anyways, Currently i use a rocker bottom shoe. I live in the US and here they make them out of your own shoe so it doesn't have to b a granny shoe. I had mine made out of an Nike Air Max n it doesn't look bad. Most people don't even notice it's altered. Im also in the world of getting a orthotic somewhat like an afo but only goes to my ankle. Also not noticeable since its mostly inside my shoe...

Hope everyone happy healing as i keep yelling myself its gonna get better and could be so much worse... (In the accident i was dead brought back by cpr and i broke my neck and can still stand up) and seriously if you get really down about your situation just wheel yourself thru a large hospital and think about the other injuries u see... It will make you feel better. For real...

Can anybody tell me about the shoes they wore afterwards? If I'm going into granny boots I need to get my head around it first! By the way, getting a wheel chair was a great move, I now have so much more independence.

I had my left ankle fused when I was 15, and 21 years later my ankle is still attached and Im walking just fine :)

Arthritis can get the better of you during cold nights, but remember not to push yourself too hard. The pins and needles feeling will come and go, it's just blood circulation rerouting :)

Be patient and I'm sure you're recovery will be just fine.

Best of luck.

I am 3 weeks post op sub talar fusion with bone graft from my shin. I had a cast with back slab for 2 weeks & now have a moon boot, non weight baring for 6 weeks at least. I so hate the crutches & plan to hire a wheel chair tomorrow. I fear my backside will be the size & shape of the sofa soon! I have had little pain & no complications so far. Sadly I can't use a knee scooter because the bone graft was taken from just below my knee & the wound hasn't yet healed. Fingers crossed for a good outcome & good luck to anybody about to go ahead with this procedure.

Hello, it's very interesting to read stories of people who have had ankle fusion surgeries and about what they have experienced. I'm 23 and had been suffering from post-traumatic osteoarthritis in my right ankle due to an injury sustained when i was 13. I have since had 5 operations on my ankle, the fusion being my 5th. In around a week and half i will be having my cast removed and will be put in and air cast boot. Obviously this is dependant upon how well the joint is healing. I am however starting to feel really apprehensive about what the limitations will be when i come away from the crutches and out of the cast. Im wondering what shoes i can wear, how far i will be able to walk and what exercise is best. Has anyone got any further experiences they can share. The worry is definitely setting in.

Thanks everyone for your advice and stories! I'm 19 years old and just had subtalar fusion surgery performed 8 days ago. Unfortunately this was my only option. I've been having serious pain, which I know is normal, but I keep getting nervous that it isn't healing correctly. My doctor told me the first two weeks is the most critical point of healing, and I go in for x-rays in 6 days to find out if it is healing correctly. Wish me luck! And it's nice to know I'm not the only person my age with degenerative arthritis and going through this operation! Gives me hope.