Is It Normal To Have Tingly Warm Foot And Swelling After Surgery For Broken Tibia?

Posted on Tue, 12 Nov 2013

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Tue, 12 Nov 2013 Answered on

Tue, 17 Dec 2013 Last reviewed on

Question : My son had surgery two days ago. He broke his tibia low and has a plate attaching the growth plate to the tibia. His foot gets hot when he puts it down and puts it back up. When it is down he says it feels tingly. He doesn't have a fever but his foot limits heat. Should I be concerned

Answered by Dr. K. Naga Ravi Prasad (8 days later)

Brief Answer: Might not be a matter of concern. Detailed Answer: Hi, thanks for writing to XXXXXXX A certain amount of swelling, local warmth and tingling sensations are taken as Normal findings during the immediate post operative period, owing to the inflammatory process within the soft tissues secondary to surgery. If all the above symptoms are associated with fever (which typically occurs from 5-7 days post operatively), then the wound is assumed to be infected. It is advisable to keep the foot end in elevation most of the time in a day to help resolve the swelling and tingling sensation. Active movements of the toes all aids in resolving the swelling and improves blood circulation, which hastens the healing process. Hope I have addressed your query. Happy to help further Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar