BEFORE/AFTER SURGERY

Patients who will have or have had surgery can download an information sheet here (see below on this page) on what to do before and after your surgery. For many people who have major foot surgery, it means a long period of sick leave and a few days of intense pain and being confined to bed. We would like to inform you about what you can do on your own to ease things after the surgery.

Surgery that results in pain and being confined to bed:
– Make sure you have food at home for a few days.
– If you live alone, ask a friend or relative if they can help you for the first few days.
– Prepare by placing books, movies, magazines or other entertainment near your bed.

About medications
You may feel nauseous from some medications.  If you feel sick, it is also good to have easily digestible food at home like yogurt or soup. Ask your doctor before surgery about different medication options.

Operations that result in a swollen foot after surgery
If you have plaster of Paris, you will be given a special shoe for the time you are bandaged. After that, it can be a good idea to have a soft shoe, a few sizes bigger than usual.

All physical exercise is good for the body and increases blood circulation. Foot exercises are important and essential for the movement of the foot. Here are tips on some exercises you can do, preferably every day. Take the opportunity to do the exercises when you are sitting in front of the TV, for example. Going for a walk is also an excellent workout for the feet. 

For those of our patients who smoke, we would like to strongly advise you to take a break from smoking before surgery. There are several good reasons for taking a break from smoking. When you smoke the body’s tissues get less oxygen, causing the surgical wound to heal more slowly than normal. This increases the risk of wound infection. If you stop smoking for eight weeks before and continue for the same amount of time after the surgery, you can halve the risk of complications. The recommended time can vary slightly. Please ask us before an operation if you have any more questions regarding smoking before surgery.