Your child will stay in the hospital for about 1 to 3 days right after their surgery. Their hospital stay may be longer if they also had surgery on their bones. Their foot will be kept in a raised position. They may be given medicines to help control their pain.

The skin around your child’s cast will be checked often to make sure it stays pink and healthy. Your child’s toes also will be checked to make sure they are pink and your child can move and feel them. These are signs of proper blood flow.

Your child will have a cast on for about 12 weeks. It will be changed at least 2 or 3 times. Before your child leaves the hospital, you will be taught how to take care of the cast.

When the last cast is taken off, your child’s doctor will refer your child for physical therapy. The therapist will teach you exercises to do with your child to strengthen their foot and make sure it stays flexible.

Your child might need to wear a brace after surgery.

After recovering from surgery, your child’s foot should work like a normal foot. Your child should be able to have a normal, active life. But their foot may be stiffer than normal or stiffer than a foot not treated with surgery.

In most cases, the child’s foot and calf may be smaller than normal the rest of their life.

Children who have had clubfoot surgery may need another surgery later in their life.