melody,
The tendon repair will likely be the painful part of the surgery. I had a tendon repair many years ago. I had a badly sprained and broken foot with a tendon that tore in my ankle. They put two pins in my foot and then took a plug of bone out of my ankle, saved the plug, then took a tendon that isn't used much out of the back of my calf. They sewed it onto the torn part of the tendon, put the other end of it into the hole where they took the bone plug out, then put the plug of bone back in my ankle with it holding the tendon in place. Twenty two stitches and a hard cast to hold things in place while it was healing, crutches were necessary and I could place no weight on it for 6 weeks.

Yes it was painful. But they did give me pain medication. Showering in the cast required one of those waterproof cast covers. And NO coathangers in the cast to scratch!

I hope this surgery helps Alan get back to his full ability to walk right. Good luck to him!
Billye