I want to be clear - the surgical inflammation does not sound like it is the pain management doctors responsibility. it seems like your surgeon would see you for a post op visit. You should have had a few of these along the way - a week, 3 weeks, driving clearance 6-8 weeks and 3 months. It seems to me this should have been dealt with then and not with a pain management doctor. IF the inflammation is caused by an infection or a reaction or an allergy to hardware or something like that the surgeon should be monitoring your post-surgical condition. Your surgeon can be doing simple xrays. Maybe, if you are far, you can get the xrays done local and have them sent to your surgery team. Mine follow up for one year. I'm concerned that you have all of these problems related to the surgery. Maybe get another surgical opinion. I woke up with a nerve pain in my foot. Its a damaged nerve that I couldn't feel before surgery. Now I can feel this damaged painful nerve. But IF I wanted to deal with it I'd go back to the surgeon, let him review the xrays he does in his office to be sure all is well and let him give me an ORDER for what he wants done. I guess my point is - you need to go back to your surgeon. Even if you can't go back get a video call scheduled!