Tracie Darbin, 61, shown above with her great nephew Quincy, suffered a terrible injury to her left ankle that required surgery.
“About 40 years ago, I shattered my ankle and tore my Achilles tendon,” she recalled. “At that time, the best solution for reconnecting the bones was using screws, but the joint often rubbed together and was very painful.”
When her ankle remained swollen and made popping sounds while walking, the Claremore resident sought the care of Timothy McConn, DPM, FACFAS, a board-certified, fellowship-trained foot and ankle surgeon at Utica Park Clinic.
“When my doctor discovered I had bone-on-bone arthritis, he referred me to Dr. McConn,” said Darbin. “Dr. McConn presented two options: try injections and braces to decrease the swelling and pain or fix it all with ankle replacement surgery. I had never heard of replacing an ankle, but since I wanted the pain to be over, I opted for the surgery.”
“The entire process went very quickly,” she said. “They took a CT scan of my ankle for customization and then scheduled the surgery. They were very thorough and answered all my questions.”
After Darbin completed surgery, she began physical therapy sessions three times a week for three months.
“At first I couldn’t put any pressure on my foot, so I started with flexibility exercises to get my toes moving,” she said. “Once I was able to put some weight on the ankle, I did exercises to increase flexibility and strength on the entire leg.”
On crutches for two weeks after surgery, she later transferred to a walking boot for two weeks and then to regular shoes with a small brace with Velcro straps around her ankle.
“I still have some swelling, especially when I’m on my feet all day,” she said. “But I can move around better and climb stairs, so it’s been great!”
Unique replacement surgery
Dr. McConn is the only podiatrist in Oklahoma who regularly performs ankle replacement surgeries, averaging more than 20 surgeries a year. We recently asked him a few questions about the surgery.
Q. What are the non-surgical treatments for ankle arthritis?
Dr. McConn: Patients usually say that the more they do with their ankle, the more it swells and hurts, so we suggest some form of bracing to decrease the demand on the joint. Steroid injections can also help with the pain. Both recommendations don't fix the problem, but they can help manage their condition without surgery until patients are ready to explore surgical options.
Q. What are the surgical treatments for ankle arthritis?
Dr. McConn: Surgical options for ankle arthritis are ankle replacement or ankle fusion. Ankle fusion is preparing the joint, so it heals into one solid piece of bone. This eliminates a painful joint, but you sacrifice the range of motion that you keep with an ankle replacement. The two goals of ankle replacement are to address discomfort and maintain the motion you have. Your doctor can discuss your specific details to determine if you are a candidate for one of these surgical treatments.
Q. Are there any risks and complications with ankle replacement surgery?
Dr. McConn: As with all surgeries, there are post-operative risks involving infection and the healing of incisions. With replacement surgeries, there is also the rare risk of failure of the implant, which could require a revision. The age of surgical patients also matters as ankle replacement parts have a long lifespan of 10-20 years. We are also using CT scan technology to improve accuracy.
Ready to travel
Now that Darbin is walking easily without pain, she and her husband are planning vacation trips to visit new places.
“My husband's a big history buff, so we love any chance we get to travel,” she said. “In September, we will fly to Hawaii and tour the Pearl Harbor National Memorial. We also want to explore more historical sites around Oklahoma.”
For those with a severe injury or osteoarthritis in their ankle, Darbin is quick to recommend Dr. McConn for ankle replacement surgery.
“I can walk and climb stairs without pain,” she said. “I don’t run anymore, but I can do just about anything except put on my cowboy boots, and I’m working on that! I’m glad I had the surgery and all the rehab because now it’s done and I’m back to normal!”
For more information about orthopedic treatments and surgical procedures, visit our website or schedule an appointment with a Utica Park Clinic orthopedic specialist by calling 918-579-3627 today.