Marilyn Utz has lived with arthritis for years which led to her needing both knees and a shoulder replaced. In 2014, Marilyn’s right ankle began to feel like her knee and shoulder joints pre-surgery, but she powered through the pain with an ankle brace and painkiller injections. Marilyn’s ankle degenerated to bone-on-bone and impacted her active lifestyle. She was unable to walk, garden or fish, and going to the beach was unbearable. She began to rely on pain medication just to get through the day, but she didn’t like the way medication made her feel.
Marilyn knew surgery was the next step. She went to Dr. Eugene Batelli of Metropolitan Ankle & Foot Care in Totowa, New Jersey. He suggested an INFINITY™ Total Ankle Replacement. Marilyn decided to get the ankle replacement surgery and in May of 2016 she was fitted with her INFINITY™ Total Ankle. She spent three days in the hospital and six weeks in a cast, then a boot. Physical therapy helped Marilyn achieve great range of motion. Walking helped get her strength back when she was allowed to put weight on her ankle.
Marilyn is now back to swimming and working at her part time job in the cafeteria of a local elementary school. She wants to use her story to educate others about the total ankle replacement surgery.
“I don’t even know I don’t have my own ankle,” said Marilyn. “I’ve had both knees replaced and they’re good, but in the back of your mind, you know they’re not your knees. With this ankle, I don’t even think about it.”
The opinions of Marilyn Utz and Dr. Batelli are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Wright Medical.
Any results are specific to this particular individual only. Individual results and activity levels after surgery vary and depend on many factors including age, weight and prior activity level. There are risks and recovery times associated with surgery and there are certain individuals who should not undergo surgery.