Pre-Operative Instructions

  1. Fill your pain medication prescription prior to the date of your surgery to avoid having to wait on it at the pharmacy after your procedure
  2. If you have been instructed not to apply weight to the foot after surgery, bring your assistive device to the surgery center or hospital on the day of surgery
  3. Have this non-weight bearing assistive device available to practice with prior to undergoing the procedure. This will lessen the risk of falling or placing pressure on the foot after surgery.

Post-Operative Instructions

  1. Keep your dressing on, clean, and DRY
  2. If the dressing gets wet or feels too tight, call immediately
  3. Elevate the foot to the level of your heart much of the time for the first week after surgery. You may get up for short periods of time periodically but keep this to less than 5-10 minutes at a time. You should mostly rest with the foot up.
  4. You may be up out of bed more often after the first week but must continue to ice and elevate the leg while at rest. The more swelling you experience during the first few weeks after surgery, the longer that swelling will stay, making it difficult to get back into normal shoes
  5. Apply ice to the operative foot/leg for 30 minutes every 3-4 hours. If your dressing comes up past the calf, apply it behind the knee. If your dressing is only around the foot and ankle, apply the ice over the FRONT and INSIDE of the ankle.
  6. Start taking your pain medication BEFORE you feel the pain. This way you can stay ahead of it. Take a stool softener or laxative regularly while on the pain medication to avoid constipation
  7. If you experience warmth, pain, swelling, or color changes IN THE CALF AREA call Dr. Walimire on his cell phone immediately!
  8. Call the medical assistants at Dr. Walimire’s office with any questions or concerns at 239-936-6778 x 2263.

Click here to download these instructions as a PDF.