Achilles Surgery
The treatment options for a complete rupture of the tendon include surgery followed by casting, or casting alone. There are advantages and disadvantages to each technique and the options should be discussed with your physician. With surgery, the tendon is either reattached to the calcaneal bone (if it has been pulled off or avulsed) or the two ends are sewn together is the tendon has been torn in two.In most people, a cast is applied after surgery until healing is complete. Each patient must be considered individually. There are many reasons why a person may not be a suitable candidate for a surgical repair of the injury. These include, but are not limited to: poor circulation, presence of skin problems at the site of the injury, age, a sedentary lifestyle, other medical conditions that make the person a poor candidate for surgery (such as heart or lung problems). If the injury is treated non-operatively, then a cast is applied until healing is complete. The length of time required for healing is highly variable. Often it may take as long as six months for complete healing to occur.
