Are there any risks to total ankle replacement surgery?
Dr. Donley: The risks involved in ankle replacement are many. The risks that are inherent to all operations certainly exist for an ankle operation; but then there are risks specifically with the ankle replacement. It’s a very difficult and tedious operation and in time, sometimes the replacement can wear out, which will make the person more likely need another operation, which would be even more difficult than the first operation. There is risk of infection, which would require removal of the prosthesis and there are other risks involved with the operation, such as a blood clot or other risks. What have your patients that have had the procedure done say about it? Dr. Donley: It’s still early for the patients that I’ve done this operation on. I did the first one in December of 2006, so our longest recovery at this point, from this operation, is approximately 14 to15 months. So far though, in this short time period, the patients seem to be doing exceptionally well. They seem to really en
