Ankle Surgery
Since you use your ankle for running, jumping, and walking, ankle injuries and fractures are one of the most common injuries. Just a slight wrong bend, roll, or twist can place too much pressure on your joint, resulting in an injury or damage. Ankle injuries usually happen due to twisting of ankle or falls, and the fractures typically occur in an automotive accident or sports injury.
Ankle surgery is needed to treat or repair the injured ankle to help you restore full movement of your foot. The surgery might result in complications during or after the surgery in some cases. While in majority of the cases, these problems are quickly treated or prevented. But, is some cases, it might lead to additional surgeries or impairment of the ankle that ultimately result in a malpractice case.
For medical malpractice cases related to ankle injuries, an orthopedic surgery expert witness or specifically an Ankle Surgery Expert Witness is consulted for a thorough review and evaluation.
What is Ankle Surgery?
During ankle surgery, the orthopedic surgeon makes a small incision to insert the arthroscope in the ankle. The surgeon examines the tissues and muscles in the ankle joint, including ligaments, tendons, bones, and cartilage and repairs the damage.
Damaged tissues are removed, and a tear in the cartilage, tendon, or muscle is mixed during the surgery. The cuts or incisions are closed using stitches and a bandage is applied. The patient might have to wear an ankle cast after surgery to assure the ankle remains stabilize while healing.
The major conditions that are treated through ankle surgery include:
- Ankle Arthritis
- Ankle Fractures
- Instability of Ankle
- Anterior ankle Impingement
- Arthrofibrosis
As with any surgery, there are risks involved and some patients might experience problems after ankle surgery, including wound haematoma, stiffness, swelling, and infections.
History of Ankle Surgery Malpractice Cases
Many cases of botched ankle surgery have been reported and have led to litigation. Some are due to complications, medical negligence or lack of care.
A study highlighted that the most common reason for ankle surgery malpractice cases was nerve damage after the surgery. Pseudoaneurysms due to vascular damage after an ankle arthroscopy is rare, but can be dangerous since it often goes undiagnosed because of its slow progression. It requires immediate treatment before it worsens.
Why Do You Need Ankle Surgery Expert Witness?
An Ankle Surgery Expert Witness provides significant information in specific orthopedic surgery cases by offering detailed medical evaluation of the reports, cost estimation, assessment, and determine whether or not medical negligence has occurred.
Dr. Powell is a highly regarded, board certified orthopedic surgeon with more than 15,000 successful surgeries under his belt. With 30+ years of practical surgical experience, he offers accurate and timely Ankle Surgery Expert Witness case evaluations for orthopedic medical malpractice cases.
Ankle Surgery FAQs
While ankle surgery is relatively safe procedure, there might be some complications. These may include:
- Infection
- Bleeding from the incision wounds
- Nerve damage
Every ankle injury is different, and individuals heal at their own pace. Therefore, the recovery time usually varies from person to person. Typically, it takes about six weeks or more for bones to heal. Healing of torn tendons or ligaments take longer. It is also essential to follow the recovery tips and guidance provided by the orthopedic surgeon to improve the time of healing.
It is essential not to move your ankle too much after surgery. Once the injury heals, you will be required to wear a boot or a cast to keep your ankle stable. Some additional tips are:
- Keep weight off your ankle
- Gradually put more pressure on the ankle as it starts to heal. It is best to use a cane or other support while walking
- Physical Therapy
- Don’t miss the follow-up appointments with the orthopedic surgeon