Does a broken ankle usually return to looking normal after surgery?

Not always: Depending on the extent of the fracture, where in the ankle it occurred and what kind of surgery was done, there may be chronic appearence of enlargement of that ankle. This has been my experience. This is not always the case though and sometimes i see patients who have had ankle fractures and surgery and their ankles look normal.However, they often have less range of motion compared to the other.

Usually: It could depend if plates and screws where used to repair the ankle. These could leave the ankle looking swollen and enlarged.