This is often the first question patients ask, and understandably so getting back on your feet matters. With MIS, the answer tends to be reassuring.
Thanks to the minimal tissue disruption involved in MIS, most patients are able to walk on the same day as surgery, or the day after, using a special protective post-operative shoe designed to support the foot while it heals.
While patients can walk almost immediately, this early walking is done carefully, in the supportive shoe, and typically with reduced weight-bearing or shorter distances at first not a full return to regular activity.
A Gradual Progression
- First few days: Walking in the protective shoe, with rest and elevation encouraged between activity
- 1–2 weeks: Continued use of the protective shoe as swelling gradually decreases
- 3–6 weeks: Gradual transition toward more regular footwear as healing progresses
Being able to walk early rather than being immobile for weeks is one of the most valued benefits of MIS. It allows patients to maintain a level of independence and daily function that traditional open surgery often didn’t allow in the same way.