Drill Bit Left In Ankle After Operation

11:42 am -before treatment

Have a look at the picture above. My patient came to our clinic with "problems" in his right ankle. He fractured the ankle in 2010, had pins and plates inserted (but the surgeon did not suggest physiotherapy after that).

He resumed running and football after that and subsequently needed an ankle reconstruction last year as another surgeon told him all his ligaments were now torn and the ankle unstable. Again there was no referral for physiotherapy after this second operation.

One year later, he still had lots of pain in his ankle and lack of range of motion. He saw another surgeon for a second opinion and the MRI was inconclusive. He underwent another operation and in the operating theater, the surgeon found a bone spur in front and a broken-off drill bit left behind! Yes, you read correctly, a broken-off drill bit from the earlier operation ??!!!

Finally, this third surgeon he saw referred him for physiotherapy.

11:55 am 

Well, it took me about 13 mins to change his right ankle if you look at the time difference between both pictures. Actually it was less because I treated his left leg too, before re-assessing him.

Now if we put both pictures together, you can definitely see the difference.

See the difference?

Having a difficult time before or after your operation? Come and see us in our clinics. We'll definitely be able to help you get better.