Achilles Tendon Tear Repair in Houston, TX

What Achilles Repair Fixes

Achilles repair restores the connection between your calf muscles and your heel bone after a rupture, bringing back the push-off power a torn tendon cannot transmit. The Achilles is the largest tendon in the body, and everything athletic runs through it. When it ruptures and the ends heal apart or stretched out, the calf fires but the force never reaches the foot. The repair puts the ends back together at the right length so strength can be rebuilt.

Who Is a Candidate

Surgical repair makes the most sense for complete ruptures in patients who need the most from the tendon. That typically includes:

• Younger and middle-aged athletes in running, jumping, and cutting sports
• Tears where the ends do not come together with the foot pointed down
• Diagnoses delayed by several weeks, where the tendon has retracted
• Re-ruptures after previous treatment
• Patients who understand the trade-offs and prioritize the lowest re-rupture risk

Candidacy is a two-way conversation. Both surgery and functional bracing work well for many tears, and the right answer depends on your tear pattern, timing, health, and goals.

How Dr. Gombera Performs the Repair

The repair reconnects the torn tendon ends with strong, locking sutures, through either a traditional open incision or a smaller minimally invasive approach. Confirm which technique or techniques Dr. Gombera uses and his criteria for each.

Open repair uses an incision beside the tendon to expose both ends directly, clean up frayed tissue, and stitch the ends together at accurate tension. It gives the most direct view of the repair.
Minimally invasive repair passes the same style of sutures through a much smaller incision using a guiding instrument. Smaller incisions mean fewer wound problems, with careful attention paid to the sural nerve, a skin nerve that runs close to the tendon.

Chronic or neglected tears sometimes need more than an end-to-end repair, such as reinforcement with a nearby tendon or graft tissue. Surgery is outpatient at Texas Orthopedic Hospital, and our preparing for surgery covers the practical details.

Recovery: The Honest Timeline

Recovery is measured in months, and it is won or lost in the boot-and-wedges progression. The tendon must be protected from stretching out while it heals, then loaded steadily so it regains strength. Skipping ahead risks a repair that heals too long, which permanently weakens push-off; going too slow breeds stiffness and calf wasting.

The phase-by-phase plan is outlined above, with three honest notes alongside it. The surgical-side calf shrinks noticeably and takes a year or more of strength work to rebuild, and a small deficit can persist. Blood clots are a known risk after any Achilles injury, so new calf swelling or chest symptoms need immediate attention. And return to sport at 9 to 12 months is a testing decision, not a promise; some athletes are ready sooner, some later.

Risks, Stated Honestly

The main risks of Achilles repair concentrate at the skin and nearby structures: wound healing problems over the thin soft tissue behind the ankle, infection, and numbness or irritation from the sural nerve. Re-rupture still happens after surgery, just less often than without it. Blood clots, stiffness, and lasting calf weakness are possible with either path. Dr. Gombera reviews your risk profile, including diabetes, smoking, and skin quality, before recommending surgery, because those factors sometimes make non-operative care the safer choice.

Recovery Timeline (render as numbered phases)

1. Day of surgery: Home the same day in a padded splint with the foot pointed slightly downward. Crutches or a knee scooter; no weight through the leg.
2. Weeks 1 to 2: The splint stays on while the incision heals. Elevate most of the day to control swelling and protect the thin skin over the tendon.
3. Weeks 2 to 6: Transition to a walking boot with heel wedges. Weight bearing progresses stepwise and guided motion begins with physical therapy.
4. Weeks 6 to 10: Heel wedges come out one at a time until the foot sits flat. Most patients wean out of the boot around week 10.
5. Months 3 to 6: Progressive calf strengthening and balance work. Jogging typically resumes around month five to six, once single-leg strength allows.
6. Months 9 to 12: Return to explosive, competitive sport for most athletes, cleared by strength and hop testing rather than the calendar.

Footnote under timeline: Every recovery is individualized. You will receive a written protocol, and Dr. Gombera’s team coordinates directly with your physical therapist, in Houston or at home.

When Achilles Repair Is Not the Right Answer

Many Achilles ruptures do not need surgery. Midsubstance tears treated within the first one to two weeks often do just as well with functional non-operative care: a boot, heel wedges, early protected weight bearing, and the same disciplined rehabilitation. That is frequently the better choice for lower-demand patients, and for anyone with diabetes, vascular disease, fragile skin, or a smoking habit, because wound problems are the main cost of surgery. Dr. Gombera lays out both paths honestly; start with the comparison on Achilles tendon tear. Surgery for chronic Achilles tendonitis is a different and much rarer operation; see Achilles tendonitis for that pathway.

Schedule an Achilles Repair Consultation in Houston

Dr. Gombera performs Achilles repair at Texas Orthopedic Hospital (7401 Main St) and sees patients there and at the Memorial (8731 Katy Freeway, Suite 110) and Baytown (7718 Garth Rd) offices. Same-week consultations are available.