An uncommon surgery is changing lives for people with ankle arthritis. For those who have long-term pain and difficulty walking, ankle fusion surgery is one option.
But some people, like 86-year-old Joe Marinello from Wethersfield, are good candidates for total ankle replacement—a newer procedure that may offer even better results.
Dr. Lauren Geaney, a foot and ankle surgeon at UConn Health, says that many people don’t know about total ankle replacement. “It lets patients keep their ankle’s movement and walk more normally,” she explains. “But not many people realize this is even an option for treating ankle arthritis.”
Last year, Joe Marinello was struggling to get around. His right ankle hurt constantly, and the pain had gotten so bad that he walked with a limp and used a cane. “I had pain most of the time when I moved,” he said. “I stopped doing a lot of things. My wife had to do most of the shopping and housework.” He often took ibuprofen to deal with the discomfort.
Joe’s ankle problems started all the way back in 1961, when he was playing baseball in college. He slid into home plate and badly injured his ankle. “My foot flipped over, and the tibia bone ended up on top,” he said.
A doctor in West Virginia managed to reset the bones without surgery. Over time, therapy helped his muscles recover. Joe even returned to playing baseball while serving in the military.
Being active his whole life, Joe didn’t start feeling serious ankle pain until about 10 years ago. That’s when he began seeing Dr. Geaney, who first tried cortisone shots. They worked for a while, but eventually, the shots stopped helping. As the pain worsened, Dr. Geaney suggested ankle replacement surgery.
Although Joe was nervous about the recovery time, he decided to go ahead with the operation. He had the surgery on March 20. For the first 11 days, his foot was in a splint, and he couldn’t put any weight on it. After getting his stitches removed, he wore a walking boot and slowly started to put some weight on his foot.
“I could rest it on the ground, but I still had to use my walker,” he said. “Then in late April, Dr. Geaney told me to put on my shoe. From that point on, I had no pain. Just some swelling from the surgery. It was incredible.”
Dr. Geaney says Joe had an excellent result. “This surgery is great for helping people get back to everyday activities like walking, biking, or swimming,” she said. While full recovery can take up to a year, many patients start feeling much better after just a few weeks.
Joe’s rehab lasted four months. He says the only things his doctor told him to avoid were running and climbing ladders—neither of which he planned to do anyway. “Now, I take the boat out, I go fishing, I shop with my wife, and I help carry groceries. I feel like I’m living a normal life again.”
He also has high praise for Dr. Geaney. “She walks on water, as far as I’m concerned. I’m walking with no pain. She’s kind, friendly, and easy to talk to. She treats you like a real person.”
For people with ankle arthritis, total ankle replacement might be the solution they’ve been waiting for. It’s not right for everyone, but for those who qualify, it can truly change lives.
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