The foot has a lot of important muscles and tendons which help you to walk around and move freely. The Achilles tendon is also a very important piece of muscle. There are times when it can become injured or it can tear, so you need to visit a podiatry clinic for some sort of procedure to help treat it. Here is everything you need to know about Achilles tendon repair surgery.

What Is Achilles Tendon?

The Achilles tendon is a thick fibrous cord and it connects the calf to your foot. The tendon is responsible for holding all the muscles around the calf and foot in place and because of this, you can walk, run and even jump. There are a lot of times where this tendon can get teared or becomes very sore. This will immediately inhibit movement in your leg and you will have a very hard time doing normal things like moving your leg around.

How Is The Achilles Tendon Repair Surgery Done?

For torn tendons of the leg, especially the Achilles tendon, a type of surgery is done in which the torn tendon is fused and repaired so that you can walk and move your leg freely again. Here is how the surgery is done.

1. For the diagnosis, a normal x-ray can be done and it will show you instantly what is the problem with your tendon. Whether it is torn, stretched, or has degenerated. Degeneration of tendons is actually a disorder and it is called tendinitis, where the tendon slowly begins to shrink until it no longer serves its purpose.
2. Afterward, surgery will be scheduled.
3. Before the surgery, you need to go through anesthesia fitness and this can take a couple of days.
4. Once you are fit to go through Anesthesia, you will be called in for the surgery.
5. Once you are under anesthesia, the doctor will make an incision in your calf. Through this, the doctor will have access to the damaged tendon. If the tendon is torn, the doctor will stitch it back together. If the tendon degenerates, then another piece of tendon from somewhere in your peg is taken and attached to the area of work.
6. After the sutures are made, your calf will be stitched back together and you will be extubated.

Healing Time After The Achilles Tendon Surgery

Here are some things to remember after your tendon has been repaired through surgery.

• As far as hospital stay is concerned, you don’t need to stay at all. You can actually go home the very next day.
• Your leg will be in a protective covering called a sling or splint.
• You will not be allowed to move your leg for a couple of days, you need to give the tendon time to fuse with the muscles.
• During this time, you need to keep your leg elevated and keep the movement as minimal as possible.
• After 10 to 14 days, you need to go back to your doctor for a follow-up and see what changes have taken place. If there is nothing wrong with your newly repaired tendon, then you can have the splint removed and you can move on to normal life activities.

Post-Surgery Care

Here are some care tips post-surgery.

• Try to have a good diet. This will give you energy and will replenish your body from the aftermath of the surgery. Including a lot of iron-rich fruits and vegetables are great, because you will likely lose some blood during surgery.
• Try to do light exercises with your ankle and leg which has the repaired tendon. You don’t want to over-exert the leg.
• Keep the scar away from water and moisture, while it is healing. You don’t want the scar to catch a bacterial infection from the surrounding. The infection will only worsen things for you and you will need to do extensive medicine courses.

Conclusion

There you have it! Now you know everything there is to know about Achilles tendon repair surgery. It’s better to act fast, especially when it comes to the muscles and tendons of the foot. Go to your podiatrist Woodbridge for more procedure information and preparation advice.