post-op blood clot and ankle swelling

hi there. on 4/18/11 i had surgery on my left ankle to remove a ganglion cyst and repair ligaments. they were fixed my drilling into my ankle ankle and being sutchered into my ankle bone.

after two 3 weeks, i developed blood clots on the inside of my left leg. i am taking blood thinners to help with them now. but because of these clots i had to skip the air cast part of treatment. i am currently wearing my foot/leg wrapped in a ace bandage as opposed to compression stockings.

last week my ortho told me to go ahead and start wearing a shoe and walking on it with the help of crutches. i have been and i also have been riding my exercise bike a mile a day. since then my foot has been swelling very bad and i actually have warm sensations around my ankle and the top of my foot.

should i be concerned? also how long until i should be able to walk with out the use of crutches?

thank you.

RESPONSE
Hi,

I am a little concerned about the fact that you are riding a bike. Even though that is a non-weightbearing exercise it does put your ankle through a full range of motion and I do not know if that is what you should be doing at this point.
Even though your doctor told you to walk with the use of crutches, riding your bike seems to be counter intuitive to me for the reason I just stated.
Having said that, I am not your doctor and I would think the smart move would be to call your surgeons office, tell them about your symptoms and what you have been doing.
Normally, it is not uncommon for a foot to swell somewhat once a patient starts bearing weight on the foot, but again, the bike riding does concern me.
When your doctor feels it is appropriate, he or she may send you for physical therapy in an effort to speed up the healing process.
It is difficult for me to tell you how long it will take before you are rid of the crutches. There are many factors to consider including your age, your weight, your overall health and the amount of surgery you underwent. Keep in mind, the development of a blood clot did set you back somewhat.

Marc Mitnick DPM
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