Permanently painful swollen ankle- how to get gp to do something?

[Boxingshibes]

I've got a really bad ankle. It's permanently swollen hot and painful. Sometimes it 'clicks' out of place and I need to wiggle it to get it to crunch back into place. I can't walk more than 10 mins without needing to rest. I will occasionally need to use a cane.
I have broken and sprained it multiple times and now it's given up.
I've had physio but nothing works.
I'd like ankle replacement surgery but I'm apparently too young.

I've just come back from being away for work for the week and can barely move.
While away I had to stand and walk more than usual- I did sit as much as I could and sat with my ankle up from 530 every evening.

I'm just fed up. It limits my life. I need to plan carefully where I go and where I can rest.
I have next week off so am going to try the Dr's again- what can I do / say to do something and take me seriously?
Any advice would be great!

I know they are reluctant to do joint replacements on younger people, because they don't last a lifetime and can only be replaced a limited number of times.
I think ankle only lasts on average 10 years. Then if it fails, total fusion maybe the only option, which would leave you with a non moveable frozen joint
I think they would only consider it if the benefits outweigh the risks.
So it's a quality of life issue.
Does it prevent you from working,is it impacting your daily life to a serious degree, impacting your family etc.
You would need to emphasize the impact it is having so that the risk of replacement becomes worth it.

Have you had an xray or MRI recently? That might get the ball moving as they get an expert report and can see what's wrong. You may need to lead your GP along step by step to get an orthopedic referral.

Tey your GP again. If no joy pay for a consultation with a knee and ankle surgeon and ask them to outline your options and confirm the best course of action in writing. If the recommendation is for surgical intervention, it would then be difficult for your GP not to refer you on the NHS but it may be a long wait.

Ankle joint replacements don’t have the same functionality as ankles.

i broke my ankle badly and have opted for the moment to work on increasing functionality as if they operate they’ll need to fuse various stuff etc and it won’t work as well.

a friend from my patient support group got it done and now really struggles with side to side movement of the foot and his balance.

these days I consider physio an investment in keeping my foot going for as long as possible and I do a weekly class that a charity near me runs for people with restricted mobility.

swollen and painful sounds problematic. Do you have painkillers? Mine was swollen for about three years after breaking it and will still swell up if I do too much.

have you investigated surgery?

Steel yourself for the possibility that there’s nothing they can do for now. I’ve had to. Medicine can’t cure everything.