Pre Ankle Fusion Preparation – Getting Ready for the Surgery


Proper pre ankle fusion measures should be followed once you have set a date for the operation, and it is up to you to take care of yourself. Ankle fusion preparation is very important, as a patient needs to be physically and mentally strong before any surgical procedure.

Pre Ankle Fusion Surgery Information – The Dos and Don’ts

In order to be ready for the surgical procedure, before the ankle fusion surgery, all you need to do is follow the doctor’s instructions fully and follow the pointers mentioned below.

  • Avoid Alcohol

    Alcohol stays in the bloodstream for a good amount of time after it is consumed. Once you’re on the operating table, you can never predict how it might react with some of the antibiotics and other drugs you will be given prior to the procedure. The best thing to do would be to abstain for a week or two before and after the procedure.

  • Avoid Smoking

    Smoking is a definite no-no. Cigarettes and marijuana bring down the healing capacity of the body. Furthermore, both are likely to contain a hundred different toxins, all of which can be harmful to your body, especially when you are under the surgeon’s knife.

  • Control Your Weight

    If you are overweight, then try and cut down on your weight. Instead of eating fat filled junk food, try and eat healthy.

  • Keep Your Blood Pressure in Check

    If you have either a high blood pressure or a low blood pressure, make sure you inform your doctor and ask him for guidance on how to control it. It is natural to feel anxious because of the surgery; many therapists will suggest good relaxation techniques to help keep your BP in check.

  • Verify Your Medical History

    If you have a prior health condition, mention the same that to your surgeon as well as your doctor and ask him if it will interfere with the surgery. Also talk about any medication that you might be on and get it clarified by the doctor on whether it would be safe to continue with it.

Get in touch with relatives and friends and see if it would be possible for one of them to stay with you for a week or two after the operation during ankle surgery recovery. Before the operation is performed, you will be handed over a consent form. Ask a doctor to sit and discuss the minor details of the form over with you.

This generally has information on what to do in case of any complications post ankle surgery and other possible health problems and possible treatments. Contrary to public opinion, doctors encourage their patients to ask as many questions regarding their operation and medicines as possible during the pre ankle fusion phase. Most hospitals assign a point of contact for people undergoing surgery. You can call your point of contact in case you have doubts later.

If the doctors feel they need to run a couple of tests on a tissue, a small piece will be taken and sent to the lab to run these tests. Left over tissue from the tests is generally discarded. The consent forms also have a clause regarding this, where you can give the doctors the permission to use the left over tissue for any medical research that’s approved by the board of the hospital.

Apart from this, make sure you get plenty of rest and quiet during the pre ankle fusion phase. Take a week off work and spend time on a hobby to take your mind off everyday worries or problems.


Leave a Reply