Foot Reconstruction
Foot reconstruction is a surgery to correct the foot’s anatomy and restore its normal functionality, lost due to infection, accidental trauma, bone fracture, or any other foot hazard.
Severe foot conditions often require a long time for foot rehabilitation. The Foot Reconstruction is done to four major foot parts, including:
- Toes
- Ankle
- Sole
- Dorsum of foot’s upper surface
Why Is Foot Reconstruction Required?
Foot reconstruction may be required in the following cases:
Foot Diseases
The foot disease occurs for the following reasons:
Vascular disease– Blood vessel destruction: artery or veins mass tissue death or infection.
Metabolic disease– Some diseases such as gout, arthritis, or alcoholism lead to blood vessels supply loss, causing crater-like formation in the foot and causing foot disease.
Infection– Some intensive foot infections such as gangrene, tumor, or ulcer may lead to foot deformity requiring foot reconstruction.
Foot Injuries
Foot injuries resulting from sudden accidents, causing massive foot tissue damage, fracture, or both, require foot reconstruction.
Birth Defects or Malformation
Congenital disabilities/congenital disabilities that include deformed foot fingers, malformed foot, or other congenital foot diseases are also corrected by foot reconstruction.
What Does Foot Reconstruction Involve?
Foot reconstruction involves tissue reconstruction, foot-function restoration, cosmetic rehabilitation, or amputation followed by prosthesis replacement.
Foot Reconstruction Methods
The foot reconstruction involves the following processes:
- Small wounds with soft tissue damage can be eliminated, replaced, and treated medically through foot reconstruction.
- Open deep wounds with soft tissue, and bone damage require surgical debridement, i.e., removal of damaged, infected, dead tissue or bone wounds as a foot reconstruction.
- After debridement, the surgeon surgeries the damage and mends it using bone grafts, flaps, etc. There are three kinds of flaps: tissue flap, muscle flap, bone-containing flap, which surgeons will use according to foot damage.
- The surgeon repositions flaps and restores muscle-bone strength in the foot. The surgeon will also transfer tendons to support muscle-bone adhesion.
- In severe cases, where 60-70% of the foot is damaged with no chance of restoration or high chances of infection, the surgeon might choose partial or complete foot amputation and replacement with adequate foot prosthesis.
Recovery From Foot Reconstruction
The foot recovery after reconstruction will depend on the kind of reconstruction surgery. However, these are the following recovery tips.
- The stitches will recover in 14 -15 days.
- The surgeon may give an immobilisation foot device to refrain its motion.
- The surgeon will provide foot healing medications and analgesic medications. Also, the surgeon will be instructed to properly clean and care for foot surgery wounds.
- Later the surgeon will advise you to a physical therapist to restore your foot’s mobility.