It’s a fact, 75% of all people will experience a serious foot problem at some point during their life. In many cases, whether due to injury, disease, a foot or toe deformity or other condition, surgery may become necessary to ensure a fully mobile and active lifestyle for the patient. At Superior Foot & Ankle Care Center we try to take the mystery out of surgery by providing our patients with as much information up front as possible. Here are some of the key areas you need to know about before you have surgery:
The Procedure—our podiatrists, Dr. Victoria Foley and Dr. Constance Omelas will take the time to explain your surgery from start to finish. We know that you’ll want to find out if the surgery will be done in the office or a surgical center and whether it’s outpatient or if you’ll require an overnight stay. Most often patients will need someone to drive them home after the procedure. Other concerns include the type of anesthesia that will be used and how long the procedure will take to complete.
The Recovery—questions you’ll want to ask include: how much pain will I be in and what measures will be available to minimize the discomfort? How long before I can bear weight, walk, drive, resume normal activities? Will I need to schedule physical therapy or other appointments following the surgery?
Preparing Your Home—depending on the type of surgery and the recovery you may need some assistance at home initially. You may also need to make some modifications: if your bedroom is on the second floor consider temporarily relocating to the lower level. If you will have a knee scooter, crutches or other assistive devices you will need a clear pathway to the bathroom, kitchen and other areas that are essential to get to. Determine what items (laptop, medications, water, TV remote, etc.) you’ll want within reach and set up an accessible bedside table to hold these items.
Setting up Your Calendar—find out how long you’ll be off your feet and schedule work and family life accordingly. If there are appointments that need to be kept or tasks that have to be completed while you recuperate put the right people in place to handle them so you do not have to worry about them. If possible, schedule physical therapy appointments before your surgery and be sure all recurring tasks—grocery shopping, paying bills, etc. are handled before your surgery.
Having the information about what will happen before, during and after your surgery and the opportunity to put plans in place to make the whole situation go smoothly will go a long way to reducing anxiety. If you have any concerns whatsoever, please contact our Long Beach office by calling: 562-420-9800.
