Do I have a potential bone infection or nerve damage after surgery on my foot?

[vbfootpain]

6 weeks ago I had foot surgery (modified brostrom procedure to tighten up ligaments near ankle, and a procedure to correct a calcaneonavicular coalition).  I have on incision along my ankkle, and another incision on my foot. My cast came off 3 weeks after surgery. 5 weeks after surgery, when I was changing my dressing, I saw some some black stitches from the ankle incision on my gauze pad.  I called the doctor's office, and the medical assistant said that that was normal. After that, I noticed drainage for a few days when I changed the dressing. I called doctor's office back, because my foot was feeling hot and I was having a burning pain. They put me on an antibiotic (keflex). And I was told to stop walking and go back to non weight bearing. They told me not to clean the incision. I have only been on antibiotic for 3 days, and it is a 10 day course. In the evenings, especially when I am in bed, I wake up because there is so much pain in my foot, it feels like a deep stabbing pain that is sharp, and sometimes burning. Is this normal of a skin infection from an incision? Could it be a bone infection? Or nerve damage? How patient should I be with this doctor and doctor's office?

[jemma116]

As it has been a few days since your post, so I do hope that things have started to improve.  If not, then you must get in touch with your doctor for him to come out and see you if your foot has not been examined.  

I hope for your sake that things have started to improve, but if the problem worsens, you should consider going to the hospital's ER.

When wounds do not heal properly and the pain gets worse by the day, there is clearly something not right and it is always best to get things checked out.  I would have thought that 3 days into a course of antibiotics would have shown at least some small improvement if the correct medication was prescribed.

Keep making the doctor know (or the consultant if you are still under his care) of your progress and don't suffer in silence.

Wishing you  a speedy recovery.

[caregiver222]

You need an immediate MRI to determine if there is osteomyelitis. And a culture from the wound. Oral antibiotics don't travel well to the extremities. Generally the drill is intravenous vancomyacin for several weeks. Look for redness around the wound and purplish discoloration. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. This does not appear to a normal healing process. You may or may not have an infection and may or may not have osteomyelitis. Only an MRI can act as a diagnosis for osteomyelitis. Fever is an indication of a blood infection. Some hospitals use a thermal scanner for the foot. Elevated temperature means probable infection. Head for the ER.