Thigh/Leg/Foot/ Lower Extremity Fracture Surgery
Open thigh/leg/foot/lower extremity fracture surgery is surgery most commonly used for treatment of fractures of the femur (thigh), tibia/fibula (leg), and foot.
What to Expect
Open thigh/leg/foot/lower extremity fracture surgery is done either as an outpatient
or as an overnight stay procedure. Prior to surgery you will be asked to see your primary
care doctor for “medical clearance”. They may check blood tests, EKG, and a chest x-ray in
addition to other tests they find indicated.
Once surgery is scheduled, the hospital or surgery center will contact you ahead of time
to provide specific details about your procedure. Please make sure to ask any questions you
have and follow the instructions on when to arrive and especially on when to stop eating
or drinking prior to surgery.
On the day of surgery, the anesthesia staff will talk with you about anesthesia options.
You will be asleep for the procedure and often a regional nerve block is recommended to numb
the lower extremity for pain relief.
Once in the operating room, you will be positioned so that a clear view of the fracture.
A member of the surgical team will clean the skin over the fracture site with an antiseptic
solution and a sterile drape will cover your lower extremity. Typically the incision is made
over the fracture or area of reconstruction. Most fractures are treated with placement of plates
and screws on the bone after alignment is restored. Some hand fractures are fixed with small pins
underneath or through the skin. Flexible rods may be used in children once alignment is restored.
At the end of surgery the incision is closed with stitches and covered them with a large, soft bandage.
Postoperatively you will stay in the recovery room for 1 to 2 hours before being discharged
home or to the hospital floor. Nurses will monitor your responsiveness and provide pain medication,
if needed. You will need someone to drive you home and stay with you for at least the first night if you go home.
Recovery from lower extremity fracture surgery depends on the procedure
performed but takes several weeks and a few months before full recovery. Physical therapy
will play a vital role after surgery in regaining strength and motion.