Achilles completely removed
I happen to be one of those people walking around WITHOUT an achilles tendon. I developed what looked to be a blister about the size of a dime along the incision at about 9 weeks post-op after ATR. The blister had some discharge but apparently it wasn’t enough of a concern for my Physical Therapist to send me back to my Ortho. The blister seemed to improve until about week 12 when the blister re-appeared with a vengeance. It became red around the blister and warm to the touch. I developed a low grade temperature and made an appt. with my Ortho. He sent me into surgery the same day for a debridement or “wash out“. After the procedure he told me that his original repair “looked good” and that the cultures taken from the area would be sent to infectious diseases lab for analysis. I began heavy antibiotics through IV and spent 4 days in the hospital. Lab results returned showing staph infection. Doc sent me home on antibiotics. The day I went home the wound site opened up again in the exact same area of the blister. Doc said that was to be expected and that it needed to heal from the inside out. 2 weeks later I was referred to a different Ortho and he could actually see the tendon hanging out of the back of my incision as well as the fiber stitches used in the original ATR repair. Surgery scheduled for same day for another “wash out“. After surgery I got the real bad news that the tendon was deteriorated to nothing but “GOOP” and “MUSH“. The tendon had to be removed completely. A wound vacuum was inserted into the wound for three days to aid in the closing of the wound as well as help any prevent any new infection. While staying in the hospital for 4 more days I continued to take heavy antibiotics through IV. After the 4th day the wound vac was removed and the wound was stitched up again. I am now healing without infection but will have to make a decision in the next three weeks about whether or not to undergo a fifth surgery to do a tendon transfer from my big toe(FHL tendon). The tendon is cut from under the big toe and re-routed through a hole that will be drilled through my heal bone and secured by a screw that goes through the bone as well. The tendon is then sewed up near the calf muscle and acts as the achilles. Wondering if I am the only sorry bastard that this has happened to? I am a 37 year old father of three who was playing volleyball with 10 year old’s when the ATR occurred.
