Dear Madam, Dear Sir,

You have just undergone an operation under local anesthetic. Usually the effect of this kind of anesthetic extends over a period of time. Therefore it is possible that even after many hours you will continue to feel as if your feet are asleep and will not feel any pain. This can last even more than a day; so do not be alarmed if you are still feeling strong effects from the anestetic the following day.

Subsequently you may feel some pain immediately after (relative to the number of toes operated on and the number of fractures.)

To put your mind at ease about 30% of our patients have no need to take analgesics.

Usually for this type of pain a 1000mg of Paracetamol every 8 hours is enough.

If Paracetamol is not strong enough we prescribe Contramal SR 100, one tablet every 12 hours.

However, you can use whichever analgesic you prefer, have available or are used to taking. However, for any problems that occur you should consult your treating physician.

Remember that it is not advised to exceed or adjust the prescribed dose of the analgesic nor is it advisable to wait to take it until the pain is very strong.

In every case an efficient way to reduce the pain is to raise the limb. If you raise and gently stretch the operated foot your discomfort will be reduced.

Therefore:

Do not worry if your foot feels as if it is asleep for many hours

If it is necessary take a painkiller with the proper dosage and timing

Keep in close contact with the doctor in charge of your case

The operation in which you have undergone is permanent “percutanea correction for acquired defects of the forefoot”. It is considered minimally invasive to correct the bone segments, which is done by making small incisions in the skin through which the surgical instruments are inserted. With these instruments all the corrections are made to better the function of the foot. These corrections divide the sections of bone to allow for the opening of the joint and other procedures, which permits the moving, and repositioning of the head of the bones. Therefore your foot needs time to settle and heal.

The medication prescribed for after the operation must be kept dry and unmodified until and must be taken according to the instructions which are given case by case in the letter of discharge until the first check-up. During this period you can move and walk using the operated foot (wearing the prescribed orthopedic footwear) without observing particular precautions apart from not overloading or tiring out the foot. When your foot feels heavy or stiff rest your foot. Relax and raise your foot. Sometimes the foot swells mostly at the beginning but can last for months after the operation.

Keep in mind however small the incisions your foot can bleed you might see bloody bandages. Do not be alarmed this often happens and absolutely does not represent a problem (cover the bandage with clean gauze). The loss of blood will stop quickly and spontaneously. It is important to rest and raise the foot (you should apply an ice pack to the foot for 10 minutes). You may see that your toes have turned black and blue this is no cause for alarm. It is completely normal and they will return to their normal colour within a few weeks.

As the days pass, slowly and progressively the discomfort of the operated foot will diminish and your ability to walk will increase more or less quickly depending on the extent of the surgery.

Practical Advice

Immediately after the surgery when you leave the operating room, remain lying down or relax for at lease thirty minutes, after sit up on the bed (at first slowly carry out each movement).

If you don’t notice any problems put on the orthopedic shoe and begin to walk (prudently as your foot is still anesetetized).

During the successive hours begin to (carefully) walk more. In the proceeding days pay attention and do not stay on your feet too much in order to keep your foot from swelling up too much. Take short walks and rest with the foot raised up, take an anelgesic if necessary.

If you have any problems do not hesitate to consult a member of our surgical team.

Thank you for your confidence in us.

Professional Association

Dr. Andrea Bianchi and Associates