What Your Foot & Ankle Surgeon Wants From You

When we’re working with a patient, we’re always trying to understand what they hope to gain from our care. While pain relief is oftentimes one of the top concerns, we also take the time to listen to their personal goals and wishes. Sometimes a patient wants to be able to ride their bicycle again without discomfort, while others want to regain confidence in their ankle following a significant sprain.

We make it a goal to understand your goals, but it’s also really helpful when patients know what we want from them throughout the process. In today’s blog, we take a look at a few things your foot and ankle surgeon wants from you leading up to and after your operation.

What Your Orthopedic Surgeon Wants From You

The success of your operation is not solely in the hands of your surgeon. While they’ll take care of the complexities of an operation, you also play a big role in helping make a strong recovery. Here’s a closer look at what we want from you throughout the process so that you can give yourself the best chance at making the fullest recovery possible.

1. Ask Questions - The more educated a patient is about their condition, their operation and their recovery, the more likely they are to follow the right protocols and be an active participant in their rehabilitation because they know how important it is to their recovery. We try to explain the important aspects of your operation and recovery, but we know that you’ll likely have some questions. Please ask away! We’ll be happy to provide answers and help you achieve some peace of mind throughout the process.
2. Follow Their Recommendations - Whether it’s a pre-hab program or being non-weightbearing after surgery, doctors want patients who follow their recommendations throughout the entire process. If you try to do activities outside of your current restrictions, you can suffer a setback or cause your surgery to fail. Doctors make recommendations for specific reasons, and it’s imperative that you follow them closely.
3. Do The Physical Therapy Exercises - In all likelihood, you’ll be asked to participate in some form of physical therapy as healing progresses. Doctors want patients who not only show up to every physical therapy appointment in the clinic, but also follow through with their home-based exercises. PT is what drives home recovery and function, and if you ignore it, you might not regain as much function as you had hoped. Doctors love patients who are committed to a PT program.
4. Speak Your Concerns - We want you to be as comfortable as possible before and after surgery, and we work to achieve that by addressing any concerns you may have along the way. If you’re unsure about something, have a question about your operation or are worried about how you’ll manage pain after the procedure, we’re here to help address these concerns and calm any anxiety before or after surgery. If something is making you nervous or fearful, don’t keep that bottled up. Bring it up to your care team.
5. A Positive Attitude - Finally, we want you to have a positive attitude throughout the process, because studies have shown that patients who have a healthier mindset about their operation and recovery are more likely to follow through on aspects of their recovery that will give them the best chance at a full recovery. We understand that it’s normal to be nervous or even scared of surgery, but instead of focusing on what could go wrong, consider all the things you’ll be able to do again once the issue is correct. We want you to be excited about improved physical function and less pain, because that will help drive home results.

If you can do all of the above things, you’ll be an ideal patient for your provider. For more information, or for help with your foot or ankle issue, reach out to the team at The Centers For Advanced Orthopaedics today.