Supporting your feet during recovery ensures your surgery is a success, so choose the post-operative shoes that are right for you and your needs.
Whether you have a bone deformity, arthritis, bunions, or injury, you may tend to focus only on researching the best treatment and preparing for surgery. It is important, however, to keep the subsequent healing process in mind if you want the surgery to prove successful. This requires the right post-operative shoes to support your foot while it heals in order to prevent future problems from developing.
The Importance of Post-Operative Shoes
Post-operative shoes support your foot, promote healing, and reduce the chances you will suffer a recurrence of the symptoms that prompted the surgery. It is also vitally important to invest in the right shoes in order to prevent new problems from arising following surgery. No matter the diagnosis or problem that required foot surgery, learning how to re-adapt to normal standing and walking patterns during the recovery process is necessary for the surgery to be successful.
How to Choose a Post-Operative Shoe
Post-operative shoes are typically intended to be temporary, and you may be prescribed a supportive orthotic shoe after you heal if you need continuing support. For patients with particularly degenerative foot problems, your post-operative shoes may be more permanent. These shoes may be closed-toe or opened-toe, depending on your needs. They also provide a range of benefits, including but not limited to:
- relieving pressure from deformations
- accommodating swelling or bulky dressings
- limiting joint motion while enabling walking
- comparatively low costs
Depending on your needs, you may be prescribed a succession of post-operative shoes that you can adjust to over time, or just one to address a specific target area. If your doctor indicates that you need sturdier support over a longer recovery period, they may recommend healing shoes. This type of shoe is closed-toe and more expensive. Talk to your podiatrist about your recovery goals and relay this information to your pedorthist so you can explore your options before purchasing a particular shoe.
Wearing Your Post-Operative Shoe
After surgery, your first inclination will likely be reducing the amount of time you spend on your healing foot and how much weight you put on it. While this may be recommended by your doctor initially, you should not continue this habit throughout the recovery process. It can impact your other foot negatively, and even cause misalignments in your hips and spine if you rely too heavily on that other foot.
To prevent these issues, wearing a shoe that provides some lift to keep your spine aligned is a good idea. Your pedorthist will be able to recommend one to you, so feel free to ask questions in the planning stages of your surgery. They will also offer you tactics for learning to walk in your post-operative shoe to prompt natural healing. If you do not utilize these practices, you may find your foot does not respond well when you try to walk on it much later.
Wondering About Reimbursement?
When planning for your surgery, you should double-check your health insurance policy regarding reimbursement for both the procedure and the post-operative shoes. Because they are medically necessary to prevent or reduce surgical complications, most insurers should cover post-operative shoes. Talk to your healthcare provider to verify their policy so the appointment time with a pedorthist and the shoe purchase are covered.
To learn more about which post-operative shoes you may need to wear after foot surgery, contact Horton Orthotics & Prosthetics. Our full-service, family-owned orthotic and prosthetic lab has several locations in Arkansas to meet your needs. Call us at 501.683.8889 to make an appointment with a pedorthist today.
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