Ankle reconstructive surgery is a medical plastic surgery procedure that is performed to restore form and function to the ankles. The ankles support five times a person's body weight when they walk. If the cartilage in the ankle joint is significantly compromised as a result of arthritis, injury, or some other health condition, ankle movement can be extremely painful and even debilitating. When alternative treatment options, such as braces or medication, have failed ankle reconstructive surgery might prove to be a viable treatment option.

Ankle reconstructive surgery is a good option for people who suffer the debilitating effects of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, or ankle trauma. Good candidates for ankle replacement ankle reconstructive surgery are patients who do not participate in high impact activities such as sports. Patients with little or no bone deformity and no history of ankle joint or bone infection are the best candidates for ankle replacement ankle reconstructive surgery. Ankle fusion ankle reconstructive surgery is good for patients with severe ankle deformities, a history of ankle or bone infection, or foot immobility caused by neuralgic lesion. Patients who participate in high impact activities may also make good candidates for this type of ankle reconstructive surgery.

Both of these ankle reconstructive surgery procedures take approximately one and a half hours to complete and generally require an overnight hospital stay. Recovery from ankle reconstructive surgery takes two to four months during which the patient will have a cast and move about with the help of crutches. Physical therapy is not generally needed after ankle reconstructive surgery, as patients begin to self rehabilitate by slowly putting more weight on their ankles through walking.

In one major study designed to measure the prevalence of complications that occur in ankle reconstructive surgery patients for rheumatoid arthritis, researchers found a six percent rate of complications arising from the procedure. Nearly half of all these ankle reconstructive surgery complications involved delayed healing and wound tissue death. In the majority of the remaining cases, complication from ankle reconstructive surgery involved infection. Overall, complications from ankle reconstructive surgery are rare usually minor and quite manageable with a very low occurrence of serious injury or morbidity.

There are special techniques that have been developed to make ankle reconstructive surgery better. Arthroscopy is an ankle reconstructive surgery technique that employs cameras to allow a plastic surgeon to look into the ankle area without the need for extensive incisions. The use of this ankle reconstructive surgery technique can reduce healing time and mitigate the appearance of scars after the surgery.

Because ankle reconstructive surgery is performed for medical purposes, most health insurance, and even programs like Medicare, will cover the costs associated with ankle reconstructive surgery. Please contact us to speak with a qualified and experienced plastic surgeon about ankle reconstructive surgery.