Questions and Answers Commonly Asked After Surgery

Patients frequently have similar questions after surgery. Sometimes these questions cause frustration and unnecessary worry. Therefore, we have listed commonly asked questions with our answers to help relieve extra stress that may occur after surgery. 

Please do not hesitate to call if the answer is unclear or you have a different question. You may contact me or my secretary at (717) 761-5530.

What should I do if my foot hurts after surgery?

What should I do about nausea and vomiting?

What should I do if I have a fever?

What should I do if I see blood on my bandage?

When do I come back to see the doctor?

When can I shower and bathe?

What should I do if the bandage comes off?

Should I walk on my foot or do I need crutches?

How long do I have to wear the wooden shoe or splint?

When will the numbness wear off from my foot?

When will the stitches be removed?

What do I do about swelling around my toes and behind my bandage?

How do I know if my foot is infected?

When can I drive?

When are the pins removed from my foot?

What do I do if I feel the bandage is too tight?

Thank You
Michael R. Werner, M.D.

 

 

 

 

gery Complications:

What are the possible complications with surgery?  Also, what could go wrong? Or what may not be quite right? 

These are all good questions. No surgery is without risks. Surgery should not be a decision taken lightly. Intelligent people want to try all non-operative treatment before resorting to surgery. Risks vary from the minor to the devastating. Fortunately, devastating complications are rare, but still occur. Nothing is guaranteed. It is important to know, that sometimes there are risks from not doing anything or from not doing surgery. Sometimes the risk of not having surgery outweigh the risk of surgery.

We call this the risk:benefit ratio. Ultimately, the decision to proceed with surgery is a decision only you can make in consultation with your physician. 

Examples of possible complications include the following. It is recommended that you talk with your doctor about the actual risks as they pertain to your specific surgery and medical condition and their treatment.

-Wound Healing Problems	-Infection
-Pain despite surgery	-Bone not healing
-Nerve problems	-Blood flow problems
-Recurrence of deformity	-Joint stiffness
-Prolonged Swelling	-Bone not healing or not healing in good alignment
-Blood clot	-Loss of limb
-Anaesthetic complications	-Medical complications such as heart attack or stroke
-Need for a blood transfusion	-Death