Foot and Ankle Surgery in Sharjah

What is foot and ankle surgery?

Foot and ankle surgery is a group of operations on the 26 bones, the joints and the tendons that let the foot carry your full body weight with every step. The aim is to relieve pain, correct a deformity or restore stability so that walking becomes comfortable again. Operations range from straightening a big toe joint to repairing a ruptured Achilles tendon or smoothing a damaged ankle joint.

At Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah, foot and ankle surgery is performed by the orthopedic surgical team. Because the foot bears weight so constantly, planning for the recovery period is as important as the operation itself.

Who needs it

Foot and ankle surgery is considered for problems that stay painful despite well-fitting footwear, insoles, splints, exercises and pain relief. The most common reasons are:

• Bunions (hallux valgus), where the big toe drifts towards the smaller toes and a painful bump forms at its base. Surgery realigns the bones and is recommended for pain and difficulty with shoes, with appearance a secondary benefit.
• A ruptured Achilles tendon, often felt as a sudden kick to the back of the heel during sport. Both surgical repair and treatment in a special boot are recognised options, and your surgeon discusses which suits you.
• Ankle arthritis or damage inside the ankle joint, sometimes after an old fracture or repeated sprains, treated by keyhole cleaning of the joint or, for advanced arthritis, by fusion.
• Chronic ankle instability after repeated sprains, which is addressed on the ligament reconstruction page.
• Toe deformities such as hammer toes that rub and cause painful corns.

Heel pain from plantar fasciitis is one of the most common foot complaints, and it almost always settles with stretching, supportive footwear and time, so surgery is rarely part of its treatment.

What happens

Foot and ankle operations are carried out under general or spinal anaesthetic, usually combined with a nerve block behind the knee or at the ankle that keeps the foot numb for many hours afterwards.

In bunion surgery, the surgeon makes a controlled cut in the bone, shifts it into a straighter position and fixes it with small screws or a plate, and may realign the soft tissues around the joint. Achilles tendon repair brings the torn ends together with strong stitches through an incision at the back of the heel. Ankle arthroscopy uses a small camera and instruments to clear damaged tissue from the joint.

At the end of the operation, your foot is placed in a bandage and a special post-operative shoe, a boot or a cast, depending on the procedure. Many foot operations are day cases, and you leave with crutches and clear instructions on how much weight you may put through the foot.

Preparing for it

Foot surgery changes how you get around for a period, so preparation matters. Practise with crutches before the operation, arrange a lift home, and set up your home so you can reach the bathroom, bed and kitchen safely. If the operation is on your right foot, you will be unfit to drive for a period, so plan transport for work and appointments.

Smoking and poorly controlled diabetes both slow bone and wound healing in the foot, so stopping smoking and tightening blood sugar control before surgery make a real difference. Tell the team about all your medicines, particularly blood thinners. A pre-operative check confirms that the circulation to your feet is good enough for healing.

Afterwards

Keeping the foot raised above the level of your heart for most of the first weeks is the single most effective way to control swelling and throbbing. The dressing and shoe or boot stay on until your review, and the wound is kept dry. Weight bearing follows your surgeon's plan exactly, because walking on a bone cut or tendon repair too early can disturb it. Swelling in the foot is normal and settles slowly, so your usual shoes may feel tight for a while. Your surgeon gives you a timeline for your case, and physiotherapy is arranged as part of your care pathway where it is needed.

Contact the hospital if the wound becomes red, hot or starts to leak, if you develop a fever, or if pain suddenly worsens inside the dressing or cast. Go to the emergency department straight away if your toes become numb, pale, blue or cold, or if you develop calf swelling, chest pain or sudden breathlessness, which can signal a blood clot.

Cost and insurance

Foot and ankle surgery for a medical problem, such as a painful bunion, a ruptured tendon or ankle damage, is covered by most UAE insurance plans with pre-approval. Some policies treat bunion surgery as cosmetic unless pain and functional difficulty are documented, so your surgeon's notes on symptoms support the request. Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah can help you confirm your cover on 06 599 7777.