The decision to have foot or ankle surgery is a complex one, as recovering from foot or ankle surgery could require non-weight-bearing on the involved extremity for up to six to eight weeks, followed by a short period of time in a walking cast. This limits your normal lifestyle significantly, and may take many months to recover from. However, surgery does provide acceptable pain relief and return to function, and is especially useful for treating conditions that have not responded to non-surgical methods, especially when there is bone, joint, ligament or tendon damage.