I had achilles tendon surgery yesterday

dmm13,

I'm having surgery to shave down a Haglund's deformity and repair a partial tendon tear in a couple weeks, and was interested in an update on how you're feeling these days a year+ out from yours. Any tips for the rehab? A year to get to 80% of normal seems like such a long time, but worth it if it works...

Thanks

I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news - but the surgery you had was basically a waste of time, oh well the surgeon would have collected a nice big fat pay check for making a few slices and then immobilising you in a cast.

Would there have been any difference had you just been given forced rest for two - three weeks in some boot - no. Should your achilles have ever become this bad - no.

This is an old fashioned and redundant technique performed by surgeons who no very littel about the physiology of tendinopathies, how they heal or how long it takes.

Maybe with tendonopathies, but for tears I disagree. I've done the six months of no running to see if it would heal with no luck.

That video is awesome.

He was placed in a cast as the surgeon was trying to avoid a complication - re-rupture, this is a conservative and out dated model, but encouraged of surgeons by Lawyers and Insurance companies.

Early movement in a boot has been shown again and again to get people better and stronger faster with better long term outcomes. But with a small increased risk of rerupture - which makes the surgeon look bad. The only measure utilised for the quality of his tendon operations will be things like re-rupture.

I had my surgery done by Dr. David Porter of Indianapolis. 317.817.1200 (there's more than 1 Dr. David Porter). I got my recommendation to him from this board. I was fully cured after 5 months and was running thresholds, with no issues. I traveled a few hours to do it and it was easily worth it.

Any midwesterner needing achilles surgery HAS to go to this guy. A good doctor and a good man too. He's legitimately concerned.

Going under,

Good luck with the surgery -- hope it goes well.

80% of normal a year out is actually better than I expected. I am 47 years old so I never thought I would bounce back quickly. He took off a pretty good amount of bone and the tendon was in pretty bad shape.

I don't have any great tips for rehab. The best advice I can give (which I did not follow) would be to do as much cross training in the first two months as possible. By the time I was able to run decent mileage I was in terrible shape...

It is coming back pretty quickly now though. I am pretty optimistic about where I will be in 6 months. We'll see.

Again, good luck

Hi DMM13 - wonder if I could open up this thread for a quick update from you because in all my research, your case (even your age at time of surgery) seems identical to mine. So as I lay around bored recovering from my surgery:

1) Were you eventually better after surgery than before?

2) How is your foot today, about 5 years later?

Thanks!

Hi there! I just got this surgery a week ago and am curious how long it took you to reach full recovery. I know it has been some time, but this thread is the best rundown I have found on returning to running after this procedure!