Recovery from Calf Implant Surgery

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If everything goes well during your calf augmentation surgery, you will be gently woken up afterwards and taken to a recovery room. You will also be given some support stockings to wear as soon as possible. Your legs may feel sore or painful, but this will hopefully be taken care of with medication or a long-acting local anaesthetic. If your circumstances mean that you have arranged an overnight stay at the surgical centre, you’ll stay in bed until you are discharged the next day; if not you will be discharged one to two hours after surgery. It is then best to stay stationary in bed for at least twenty four hours, only getting up for the toilet, with assistance. When walking anywhere in the first few weeks after calf augmentation, wear shoes with a one to two inch heel – about the size of cowboy boot heels. In the few hours after surgery you may experience reactions to the anaesthesia, such as nausea, shivers, and so on. This is common and should not last.

Recovery Time for Calf Implants

Calf implants should be healed and the use of your legs back to normal within two months, but make sure you take it easy until then. The first twenty-four hours after surgery must be spent in bed with as little movement as possible, but after a couple of days you will be able to walk around – in fact, this  is encouraged, as it gets your legs used to having the implants present. When sitting or lying still, however, always keep your legs elevated. Exactly how much time you need to take off work will depend on your job and your lifestyle. If your job involves little movement, such as an office job, you may be able to go back to work within a week or two; however, if you do any kind of physical labour, you may have to wait over a month. Full and complete healing, including the fading of scars, will take up to a year.

Calf Augmentation Recovery

The first day or two after surgery you must stay in bed with your legs elevated, only getting up with assistance to use the toilet. After two days, dressings can be removed, and you can have daily showers. Over the next week or two your legs will still feel a little stiff, but nevertheless are encouraged to walk around a little to get your calves used to having the implants. When lying or sitting still you should always keep your legs elevated as this reduces swelling and discomfort. After three weeks or so you should be walking normally again, though of course this can vary from person to person. Around six weeks after surgery your legs should be healed, and after about two months it’s okay to start more vigorous exercise, such as running, cycling, and so on. Recovery time will of course be different for each patient, so exactly when you can return to physical activities depends on how your body heals. Whilst you’re recovering, you can expect bruising, mild scarring, and discomfort, but this should all mostly be controlled with medication. Compression stockings will also probably be worn for around two or three weeks.

Aftercare and Post-Operative Visits after Calf Implant Surgery

After your surgery, your surgeon will book appointments with you at regular intervals to see  how  you are healing and check everything is all right, and deal with any complications which may arise. Your first visit should be around two or three days after the procedure – more often than not, he or she will come out to visit you as your movements will still be limited – and then weekly for two or three weeks. Afterwards, you can expect appointments after six weeks, then three months, six months, one year, and then annually from thereon. At these post-operative visits, your surgeon  will look over your calves to check healing and make sure  the implants have not shifted. He or she will  also check things such as bruising and scarring, and prescribe medication  accordingly if necessary. At the first  visit, a few days  after surgery, he or she will remove any dressings  from  your calves. If you have any concerns  about your healing process, be sure  to raise them at these appointments; if it is some time before the next appointment and an issue arises, contact your surgeon as soon as possible.

Taking Care of Calf Implants After Surgery

In the first  few weeks after calf augmentation surgery, exercise your legs by walking around, but avoid strenuous exercise for some  time. Along with exercise, other measures can be taken to keep your legs healthy and help them heal. Using ice packs, for instance, can help with swelling and discomfort, as does keeping your legs elevated. When you do walk around, it is best to wear shoes with a one to two inch heel, about the height of cowboy boots. Your surgeon may also recommend soaking your calves: this should be done twice  a day for twenty  minutes in very warm water that covers the entire calf. Of course, advice on this may vary between surgeons, and depends on how patients’ legs are healing. Be sure to avoid exposing your calves to sunshine and tanning beds as well, as this can affect scarring.

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