Ankle Replacement

Bruce Sobieralski of Parkton has always felt right at home in the great outdoors, but a memorable hike back in 2005 left him with an unpleasant souvenir. He was enjoying the sweeping vistas of Utah’s Cottonwood Canyon when a quick jump across the rocky terrain ended with a nasty ankle sprain. The injury never healed properly, and that jump became something he wouldn’t soon forget. “I had issues with it for years,” he said. “It just got more painful and less mobile as time went on.” More than a decade later, his job in distribution at a major food manufacturer had him working long hours on concrete floors. Every day, his bad ankle got a little harder to ignore. Last summer, he finally saw his doctor about it. He was quickly referred to Hughey C. Carter, DPM, a podiatrist at Cape Fear Valley Podiatry. “He took lots of X-rays of my ankle, my foot, up my leg,” said Sobieralski. “Then we talked about it, and he explained the injury and why it was getting worse. He said he could do a surgery on it that would help, so I said let’s do it.” If you’re surprised to find that podiatrists do surgery, you’re not alone. There is a persistent misconception that their practice is limited to things like bunions and blisters. But Dr. Carter said that’s only part of the work they do. “Surgery is very common in podiatry,” he said. “We really handle any pathology from about the mid-leg down to the toes, including things like complex deformities that require surgery.” In Sobieralski’s case, years of wear and tear on an improperly healed sprain meant an ankle replacement was necessary. He went under the knife in October. “I think I was in surgery for five hours,” he said. “I have two screws in there now, it’s basically rebuilt.” With the surgery behind him, Sobieralski was in for a long recovery. He spent several weeks in a cast, and then a walking boot. For a man who’s used to being active, the downtime took some getting used to. “I watched a lot of movies,” he said. “And wrote some letters, and tried to help around the house as much as I could.” When it came time to begin his post-op physical therapy, Sobieralski was happy to get to work. He’d learned what can happen when an ankle doesn’t heal the way it should, and knew physical therapy was an important part of the process. “They gave me exercises to do twice a day,” he said. “I’m still doing them.” Dr. Carter said it’s important to make sure patients understand the things they’ll need to do to fully heal, and the time it could take.

Find a good doctor, one you can trust, and ask lots of questions. “It’s been a long road to recovery, but it’s worth it.”

“I always have a really long talk with these patients about their expectations,” said Dr. Carter. “Surgery doesn’t always make everything perfect again, and it could be a year before you feel the full benefit of it.” Sobieralski said after talking to Dr. Carter, he felt well prepared for the surgery and the road ahead. “He’s a very thorough doctor,” he said. “I felt nervous about surgery at first, but I was impressed with Dr. Carter and really ready to get it done.” Four months after the surgery, Sobieralski said he’s not at 100 percent yet, but the mobility in his ankle is markedly improved. He’s starting to get back to some of his favorite outdoor activities. A trained horticulturist, he’s even designing an edible landscape with his wife. For others with a similar issue, he has some advice: Find a good doctor, one you can trust, and ask lots of questions. Then prepare for relief that might not come fast or easy. “It’s been a long road to recovery,” he said, “but it’s worth it.”