Accomplished in his field of medicine, Dr. Alan Binkley has extensive experience as an orthopaedic surgeon and as a physician treating sports-related conditions. Among the various procedures Dr. Alan Binkley performs are those designed to repair such injuries as torn Achilles tendons.
2. Accomplished in his field of medicine, Dr. Alan
Binkley has extensive experience as an orthopaedic
surgeon and as a physician treating sports-related
conditions. Among the various procedures Dr. Alan
Binkley performs are those designed to repair such
injuries as torn Achilles tendons.
An individual who tears his or her Achilles tendon
requires surgery to repair it. In order to let swelling
go down, the surgery might be scheduled at least a
week after the event that caused the tear. Options
entail open surgery, in which one large cut is made,
or percutaneous surgery, in which multiple smaller
incisions are made.
3. No matter the surgical method, the goal of the
surgeon is to sew the two pieces of the Achilles
tendon together, allowing the person to eventually
return to normal activities after a period of healing.
The recovery period after surgery for a torn Achilles
tendon can take as much as six months. In the first
six to 12 weeks after the surgery, the patient will
typically wear a device, such as a walking boot or
cast. At first, this device holds the foot so that it
points downward. Later on, as the tendon heals, this
device is adjusted so that the foot remains in a
neutral position. Achilles tendon surgeries generally
have positive outcomes, with more than 80 percent of
patients able to resume pre-injury activities.