My friend is experiencing bruising and minor swelling on the top side of foot, following distal fibula fracture surgery. should we worry?

Probably not: It is always smart to check with the surgeon if there is signficant pain in a new area following surgery, but gravity is usually the culprit here. With any surgery or broken bone there is always some bleeding, and in the case of the foot, one would expect that bleeding to travel downward, when visible through skin, it shows as bruisng. You will see this in bad ankle sprains even without a break.

Gravity is in play: After any fracture or surgery to treat a fracture, there is some degree of bleeding. The pathway of any bleeding will follow the pathway of least resistance and gravity which usually results in swelling in the foot along with moderate bruising. The bruising is from the blood tracking down from the ankle fracture to the layer of tissue just blow the skin resulting in the visible bruise.

Bruising: Bruising after surgery is normal and frequently not near the surgical site due to bandaging in a compressive manner. Gravity also plays a role here. Certainly keep an eye on it and see your surgeon who is the best source of information and there to help.