How to Prepare your Home in Advance of Foot Surgery

Foot injuries can happen for many reasons, and affect walking, balance, and range of motion. These conditions will worsen if left untreated. Conditions like hammer toes, bunions, heel spurs, and damage to musculoskeletal tissue and bone can affect your feet enough to require surgery. If you need surgery to treat any of these or other foot ailments, you will have to make some sort of preparations at home for post surgical living.

To help you navigate dealing with life at home after foot surgery, let’s explore what to expect once surgery is done, and best practices for post operation home preparation. Patients in the Fort Worth, Texas, area in need of treatment and management of foot conditions can find help with Drs. Gary Driver, Glen Beede, Gregory Jaryga, and the experienced team at Trinity Foot & Ankle Specialists.

What to expect after surgery

Regardless of what kind of surgery you have on your foot, it is likely to be wrapped up, splinted, or given some other form of protection as you heal, and you are likely to be instructed to reduce stress on it while healing. The amount of weight you will be permitted to exert on it initially will depend on the exact procedure, and if you are told to put no weight on it (referred to as non weight bearing) you will need to use crutches or a wheelchair until it is safe to start rehabbing it. 

You will be given basic instruction on how to care for your foot and you will need assistance and transportation to avoid stress on your foot from driving. Over the course of post surgery visits, your splint of wrappings will be adjusted as swelling reduces and your foot heals.

Post op home preparation

Here are some basic tips for preparing your home after foot surgery:

Pain maintenance

In addition to whatever pain medications your doctor prescribes, you may need things like ice, heat, and over-the-counter medications to keep your foot comfortable. Take prescribed drugs only as recommended, and follow instructions regarding how much weight you can put on your foot to avoid making the pain any worse.

Environment

Important changes to your living environment to consider include making clear and uncluttered access to important places in the house, making commonly reused items easily accessible, preparing meals in advance, and stocking your kitchen before getting home from surgery. Try to keep to one floor as much as possible if you live in a multiple floor home, until you have permission to move more freely in the house.

Elevation

Elevation will help to alleviate pain while healing, so setting up common sitting areas for elevation with things like footrests and other furniture will be helpful while convalescing.

Living arrangements

Making sleeping arrangements as comfortable as possible will help while healing, and setting up sleeping on the same floor as your daily living space may be necessary, depending on your living area. Adjustments to bathroom access may be necessary, depending on whether or not you’re using crutches or some form of mobile assistance. Reaching and grabbing devices will also help reduce limitations in trying to access things your healing foot may render more difficult to get.

Recovery times will vary, so be patient with yourself during the process, and follow your doctor’s instructions to stay safe and heal as quickly as possible. If you’re ready to get treatment under way, make an appointment with Drs. Driver, Beede, Jaryga, and Trinity Foot & Ankle Specialists today to get started.