Terri Naylor

Review of Family Medicine Clinic Morsani...

I had foot surgery and am generally quite pleased ...

I had foot surgery and am generally quite pleased with the results. However, I received very limited instructions on what to do for my recuperation. Most of it referred to noticing signs of issues with the surgery itself, like infection. However, it is a 6-week recovery, and you are supposed to "keep feet elevated." That is not very specific, and open for interpretation. Foot stool? Recliner? No. I found out from a friend 10 days into my recovery that I was supposed to have my feet elevated above my heart, "nose to toes." Big difference! So I put lots of pillows under my feet for days. I mentioned this on my two-week visit to the doctor and he didn't really comment one way or the other. I suffered terrible pain behind my knees, and he said the pain in my legs must have just been a coincidence. It turned out (I discovered this on YouTube) that I should have also had support under my knees in order to avoid hyper-extension. On my final visit, I told my doctor that I felt the recuperation instructions needed to be more specific. I don't recall him taking written notes, so I don't know where my concern/recommendation went.
I had given excellent marks on the phone survey following the surgery, but the call was only about four days after the surgery, and this problem hadn't manifested itself yet. Four days is way too soon for this survey, or there should be a follow-up after that. Also, still being on pain meds on day four, I would think many people would still be a little foggy.