What are the potential risks of surgery?
There are risks associated with all surgery and you should be
aware of these risks. Remember that it is your choose whether or
not to proceed with surgery and you should consider the risks as
well as the benefits.
Some of the potential problems associated with foot surgery are
listed below. Whilst these are risks, they are relatively uncommon.
Many can be treated and corrected without permanent disability or
pain. These risks can be reduced considerably if you follow the
instructions you are given following your surgery. An estimation of
the incidence of these complications has been provided where
possible. This risk will vary depending on your general health and
the nature of your problem.
- Post operative pain and swelling. This will occur in the
initial period after surgery but can be kept to a minimum. It will
be worste the first night and then start to ease over the next few
days. It is difficult to predict how painful it will be as this
varies between patients.
- Haematoma (less than 1%) - a build up of blood in the tissues
around the operation site.
- Infection (less than 5%). This is usually superficial and
treated with antibiotics. Your podiatrist will liaise with your
doctor if this is necessary. Prompt treatment will avoid infection
of the underlying bone, which may affect the outcome of the
surgery.
- Reaction to the pain killers (10-20%). Pain killers can upset
your stomach or make you feel sick.
- Delayed healing of the skin or bone (less than 5%)
- Prolonged swelling (5-10%). This usually settles after 6-12
months. In a few cases, swelling may be present long term but is
usually painless.
- Thick or sensitive scarring (less than 5%)
- Loss of sensation (less than 5%). This is usually temporary and
rarely permanent.
- Damage to the blood supply to the area (less than 1%).
- Blood clotting (thrombosis) in the deep veins of the leg
(0.5%). This condition can result in a small piece of clot
dislodging (embolism) and going to the lung (pulmonary embolism).
Whilst this is rare, it is a potentially life threatening
condition.
- Loosening or movement of the screws or wires used to fix bone.
If wires or screws are necessary for your operation, they are not
routinely removed unless they cause a problem. On average, 10-15%
of patients have these removed.
- Recurrence of deformity. Whilst every effort is taken to ensure
a long term successful result, this cannot be guaranteed. There is
always a possibility of the problem returning.
- Chronic regional pain syndrome is a rare complication (less
than 0.1%) that can occur following any surgery of the extremities,
resulting in severe pain to the area. Specific medical treatment /
referral is often necessary to resolve the problem. However,
precise diagnosis is difficult and a small number of affected
patients are left with disabling long term pain.
- Each operation has specific risks. These need to be considered
in addition to the general risks.
Although all these complications are possible they are
infrequent. Please be sure to discuss any areas of concern with
your podiatrist as well as specific complications related to the
procedure you may undergo.