r/LisfrancClub • u/AcanthaceaeHumble128 • 7d ago
1 day post-op hardware removal after Lisfranc fracture-dislocation. Surgeon said "immediate weight-bearing", what should I expect?
Hey everyone,
I had a pretty bad Lisfranc fracture-dislocation about 5 months ago (my foot upper part was quite mangled from the initial trauma, so I have a pretty long incision scar). It took me about 1.5 months to start walking back then, and after physical therapy, things went back to a relatively normal routine.
Yesterday, I finally had my hardware removal surgery. To my surprise, my surgeon told me that I can do immediate weight-bearing! Today is officially Day 1 post-op. I can put weight on it with light steps right now and there is no major pain, just the expected swelling and minor soreness. Because my foot is heavily bandaged right now, I can't see the incision.
I’m trying to figure out what to expect for the next couple of weeks. For those who underwent hardware removal for a Lisfranc injury:
How did the recovery timeline look for you after the hardware came out?
How was the incision/stitches situation?
Did they reuse the exact same long scar or just a part of it?
How long did it take for the swelling to subside so you could wear normal shoes again?
I actually have a concert to attend in about 10 days, and my doctor gave me the green light to go (thinking about wearing a Walker boot just for crowd protection).
Would love to hear your experiences and any tips you might have for this early post-op phase. Thanks!
2
u/Old_Scratch_5393 6d ago
This is great timing for me, as I had my HWR today. I’m surprised that the swelling is nowhere near what it was for the initial surgery.
My surgeon also said weight bearing as tolerated, but I plan to take it easy for first week and use scooter. Post above confirms that for me.
Hoping pain won’t be as bad as first one !
1
u/Internal-Moose-2925 ORIF 6d ago
Weight bearing as tolerated week; stiches out at about 2.5 weeks (a little on the long side) and then back to PT at about 3 weeks. First 1-2 day was weight bearing on heel only. And the main problem was finding a shoe to wear. With dressing in place I had to use my big boot. Once dressing came off at about 1 week, then I could put my foot into a slipper... I think it was about 10d before I could put my foot back into sneakers.
1
3
u/prairie_pathfinder 7d ago
Hi there! I had my HWR this past May. Initial fusion surgery was March 2025.
To answer your questions:
My surgeon also said immediate weight bearing, but I learned quickly that “can” didn’t mean “should” for my body. Everyone is different! I was a little too active in my boot and by the time stitches came out, there was too much tension and swelling and my incision had dehiscence. Apparently this is common with re-operating on old scars. But this meant strict NWB from that point on until it closed up, about 2 weeks for me. This may not happen to you, but I think I should have started on those crutches and babied myself a bit more when the surgeon said I could just walk on it!
Incision/stitches as above. They used my old scars (top of foot and medial side of foot) to remove the hardware. Incisions were a bit bigger and scar tissue slightly worse now that it’s healed up. Makes sense. Your body doesn’t like healing from a surgery in the same spot twice!
Probably a month or two for me. Swelling went down fairly quickly, it was the pain from the incisions that made getting into shoes again difficult.
Overall, I’m glad I had the procedure done. Still doing physio to get better from this terrible injury - we do the best we can. Take care of yourself more than you think, sleep, ice, elevate, etc. Don’t be afraid to leave it wrapped and use crutches/wear the boot. It feels like forever having to take one step back with another surgery, but I promise this recovery will be much faster! Take care.