RISKS & COMPLICATIONS
OF SURGERY

No surgery is ever risk-free, and there are several potential complications associated with surgery. These potential complications include (and this is not an exhaustive list):

​

• Infection

• Loss of toe (rare)

• Tendon injury

• Nerve injury

• Blood vessel injury

• Excessive bleeding 

• Joint stiffness

• Wound healing problems

• Bone healing problems

• Delayed/non-union

• Implant failure/extrusion

• Hypersensitive scars

• Chronic pain syndrome (worse pain than before surgery)

• Failure to correct the deformity

• Recurrence of deformity

• ​Progression of osteoarthritis

• Failure to remove implant (where applicable)

• Residual pain

• Residual deformity

• Partial improvement

• No improvement

• Worse symptoms

• Intraoperative/postoperative fracture

• Blood clot in the leg (DVT)

• Fatal clot in lung (PE)

• Anaesthetic risks

• Scarring

 

Some patients with medical conditions such as diabetes or rheumatoid conditions, smokers and overweight patients, often have higher risk of complications (e.g. delayed healing, non-unions of bone). 

 

Foot Surgery

Your feet do not remain the same during your life. Foot changes are part of life and movement cannot be stopped. 2-5 years after surgery your feet may look different again. Surgery cannot unfortunately delay the ageing process. Any foot revision surgeries tend to have a lower success rate due to the previous disruption to the blood supply and nerves.

​

If you have any queries regarding any of the above please ensure to speak with the Pre-assessment Team or contact us.

​