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Medical Author:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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When to Seek Medical Care

Watch for signs of infection or compartment syndrome (see below). Both are emergencies. Seek immediate medical care by calling your doctor or the surgeon immediately.

• If signs or symptoms of an infection occur, call your doctor. Signs of an infection include
• Fever
• Pus draining from the incisions
• Red streaks from the incisions
• Redness of the skin around the incisions
• Increasing pain more than two days after surgery
• Watch for signs of compartment syndrome, a rare but dangerous condition. Compartment syndrome occurs when the pressure of the tissues in a compartment, in this case, in your ankle or calf, is higher than the blood pressure of the vessels supplying that area. The swelling could be responsible for causing this condition. Or a cast or wrapping that is too tight could also result in this condition. The tissues of the ankle are not receiving adequate nutrition, which impairs the ability of the body to heal. Ultimately, this could lead to death of the tissues involved. Things to watch for include the following:
• Pain or swelling in the leg, more than at the incision sites
• Numbness or tingling in the leg
• Change in skin color compared to the other leg
• A cold leg or foot
• If you suspect you have an infection in the ankle or compartment syndrome, call your doctor or surgeon immediately for instructions on where to go for treatment. If instructed to do so, or if you are unable to contact your doctor, go to an emergency department.