healing process cycle after tailor bunion surgery

Bunion surgery is great when you have a good podiatrist.  Mine explained that there is not one procedure that fit all and they all  have diferent recovery times.  I had my bunion done 2 moths ago and I never took my pain meds I had no pain whatsoever!!!! :)

I had surgery for my tailor's bunion on my right foot 3 weeks ago.  Surprisingly little pain.  (Less pain than walking in a tight shoe with the tailor's bunion acting up!)  But I am overall much more tired that I expected to be.  Moving around - even a little - takes so much effort.  For the surgery, I was given a nerve block which didn't wear off for about a week.  A very weird sensation (like when a limb falls asleep, but moving it around won't wake it up).  But it kept me from experiencing major pain.  I didn't need any prescription pain medication after about 10 days.  The stitches came out a week ago.  In two weeks, I get the pins and rods removed.  Then I can drive again.  I am just in a boot.  I could drive with the boot if I didn't have pins and rods sticking out of the tip of my toe.  I just don't want to accidentally bump those on a gas or brake pedal.  My aunt had bunion surgery 8 weeks before my surgery.  She is 20 years older than I am.  Her surgery was much tougher than mine.  So was her recovery time.  I highly recommend having the surgery earlier in life if you can.  Your recovery time will be less simply because the overall damage will be less to repair.  My aunt's was so bad they were looking at taking bone from her hip to replace toe bone with.  Mine required clipping the bone in two places, shaving the large bump off, and relocating the toe to where it originally belonged.  I'm in my early 40's.  Had I realized what a tailor's bunion was earlier in life, I would have taken care of it then.  Good luck to everyone contemplating surgery!  If your toe hurts enough that you are considering surgery, my guess is that you're ready for it.  It is a huge imposition on your life for the short-term, but long-term it has to be better than the daily pain.....

Hello,
i just came across your bunion tips, and i just wanted to get some advice, i am also simaliar age to you 22 and i have tailors bunions on both feet and i want tghem both operated on as it sppeds up recovery time. I was just wondering wondering how you are walking now and did it effect your walk, as i have seen on line that a lady said she has a slight limp.

Kind regards
Vanessa

I had the surgery on my right foot three days ago (as well as hammer toe correction on my right pinky toe).  I'm 34 and female (important for comparison of healing time, probably).  I have an EXCELLENT podiatrist which probably makes all the difference.  Surgery lasted less than an hour and I really have VERY little pain.  It's so worth it.  Get it done if you have the insurance and support.  I haven't needed help getting around.  I'm in a dressing, ACE bandage, huge hospital sock and a surgical shoe.  I'm allowed partial weight on crutches.  I'm not super fast, and I can't drive (because it's my right foot) but I don't need help getting up and around.  I'm on hydrocodone for pain, but when I wake up in the morning and the meds have worn off my armpits and hands actually hurt more than my foot does (crutches).  X-)

How did your surgery go? I'm getting surgery for both tailor's bunions in a couple of weeks, and am considering having one of my bunions done as well. Any advice would be appreciated!

I just had bunion surgery on my left foot three weeks ago. I'm 24 and have moderate / severe bunions that interfere with my exercise, activity, shoe wear, basically everything. they hurt all the time, even when i have no shoes on. so left one first. a bunch of bones were broken and re-positioned. the first 36 hours after the Novocaine wore off were HORRENDOUS! But my doctor gave me a morphine nasal spray that pretty much kept me unconscious for those first 36 hours. ask for it. its called Stadol NS. <--- LIFE SAVER. 4 days post op i met with the doctor and he redressed it with a much less constrictive bandage and i was much more comfortable from that point forward. i was also given the "boot" that day. one week post op i actually put the boot on, but couldnt bring myself to step on it until 8 days post op, but with veryyyy light pressure. i was still mostly supported by crutches. 9 days post op i ditched the crutches and could walk with the boot. 18 days post op he removed the second dressing, removed the stitches, and gave me a brace to wear under the boot. its like an elastic velcro thing that just kind of holds everything in place. my incision is still weeping a little bit but definitely healing and scabbing over now. my foot is still swollen and discolored (i am now 21 days post op) but i can stand lightly on it in the shower, and next week he wants me to try wearing a sneaker for a little bit every day with the brace on. when i put my feet next to each other i am AMAZED that my left foot (the surgical foot) is literally SMALLER than my right foot. The way my bones are positioned my foot is literally less wide than it was before, and its still swollen! and theres no bump anymore either. I didnt care about the bump, I just wanted to pain to stop. but truly my whole foot looks different and the bunion pain is GONE. i have slight discomfort still from the surgery, but its a different kind of discomfort. 

i think yes. i had bunions on both feet too, and happened to get my last foot fixed today! Your bunion pain will only get worse as you age, and eventually you won't be able to walk. I used to have the worst and biggest bunions that i could possibly have (curse you heredity!) But anyhoo, if the pain is horrible now, think what it would be like in 10 years. Your toes could also cross over, and those bunions could stop you from getting the shoes you really want. (i know this all from experience. which can't be a good thing) I'd recommend you stop the pain soon.

yes im getting mine done at 14

11/3 I had my Taylor's bunion removed a few days ago. The doctor said it was the biggest he has ever seen. I am amazed at how little postop discomfort I have had. Piece of cake, no needs for narcotic pain medication. I hope you do well with yours.

I am going thru the recovery process right now. I had this surgery on Nov.1st. My dtr had both feet done last year.
It's quite uncomfortable but I know it will be worth it. I've had both shoulders done and a knee scope so I am no stranger to ortho pain.
Get lots f help and stay ahead oh the pain.

I would wait till you are older to do it and when you do make sure you get inserts for your shoes to keep them from coming back I have had 2 regular bunions removed and I am about to do my tailors bunions it is very painful and it is a long recovery. But 1 year after having the left foot done it feels amazing I can walk normal no more pain in that foot except when the weather is going to get bad. I have 2 pins and a staple in my toe so when it gets cold my feet know but other than that I think it was well worth the surgery

Hey I'm almost 16 and going to be getting surgery in a couple of weeks for my tailor bunions on both feet. I'm worried about what the boot looks like, because i have to wear mine for six weeks and i don't want to have to get bullied because of what it looks like. I know this probably sounds like a stupid thing to be worrying about but I'm a teenager and you get judge on everything. If anyone could please send me some photos of what the boots might look like it would be hugely appreciated. :)

I had a bunionectomy and a tailor bunionectomy on my right foot and I am scheduled for next week to do the same thing on my left foot.  It has now been 7 weeks since the surgery.  I am doing fine with my big toe but my little toe is causing me all sort of pain.  It feels like as if I am standing on a steel ball on my foot and it is very painful and swollen.  You can feel the round knot in my foot under my little toe.  I am not sure what to do as I have mentioned this several times to my doctor.  All he says is it takes a long time to heal.  I feel that something is wrong and am scared to have the other foot operated on as it might be as bad or worse.  Has anyone else experienced this?

I was about to have this surgery on my left foot but, having had it done on the right foot in 1999, I am thinking of postponing indefinitely if I can manipulate my footware and wear orthotics and wait...As I recall, out of about 9 surgeries I have had, one back and two deep abdominals included, that recovery from the bunion was the worst, longest, most painful one. Sorry, but you will need crutches, ne out of work for 4-6 weeks minimum, and will not have full and painless use of your foot for about 6 months. Now you know why I don't really want to go there yet...When it's constant pain (like the 1st one was), then OK I'll get the surgery!

I am 3 weeks post op from tailor bunion n surgery on my right foot.  My stitches were removed at 2 weeks post op, with the direction to continue wearing my surgical shoe for support and protection.  My foot feels pretty good most the time. No swelling or discoloration, however, if I'm walking around on it too long, it tends to stiffen up and become sore.  Icing and elevation help, along with the occasional  anti-inflammatory meds.  My doctor instructed me not to drive for 6 weeks. honestly, that's been the toughest part. I have places to be. :)

I'm confident I will be back in some fairly normal shoes soon.  

Good luck to anyone recovering or considering having this type of surgery.