And so the operation was performed promptly after the injury, as after an Achilles tendon rupture, the tendon needs to be prevented from shrinking back into the muscle.
It goes without saying that part of the crucial preparations for surgery involves sterilising the environment. Both the patient and operating table were washed and covered accordingly. The actual operation began with an incision at the level of the rupture, which then enabled Karsten Reichmann to look and confirm what he had suspected: the tendon had ruptured lengthwise, making things a little more difficult. After inserting a basic suture using robust stitches, Reichmann then inserted many single sutures with thinner stitches, finally stitching the paratenon into which the Achilles tendon is inserted. “That has to be performed with the utmost care in order to ensure that the tendon functions properly again after surgery.” The doctor uses dissolvable stitches for all sutures, meaning they don’t have to be taken out afterwards.
Finally, Karsten Reichmann stitched up the surgical wound itself. Chantal’s leg was then held in place for ten days using a splint. After these ten days, she received a specially-made shoe lined with plenty of air cushions and wedges in order to take weight off the soft tissue of the Achilles tendon. The wedges were then removed little by little over the course of the recovery process, six weeks after surgery at the latest, as according to Dr. Reichmann, that’s when patients should be able to walk with their injured foot back on level ground. Chantal had already come so far after just four weeks.
The night after her surgery, Chantal slept at the Central-Klinik, located in the same building as the joint practice in Alter Postplatz 2. Looking back, Chantal emphasises how diligently she was treated by the doctor and how comfortable the nurses made her feel during her care.