It has been 24 weeks/6 months since surgery to left foot bunion. Metal plate and 6 screws to straighten the big toe bones, 2 hammertoes fused. The swelling has been reduced to the plate area. Had PT, but big toe is stiff and next month will have scar tissue removed. Left ankle swells, but I also am a teacher and a 53-year old female on my feet all day. If I start wearing orthotics and tennis shoes more often, maybe the ankle will feel better. Recovery has been very slow, but I feel I have improved 1 centimeter every day. I am concerned about limping forever when I walk. The toes look straight and nice. I had a lot of arthritis before and it can still re-occur. I have been walking, biking, swimming and doing pilates/yoga to stay in shape. I used to run 8 miles. I can't wait for summer vacation so that I will not be at work and putting stress on foot. The Physical Therapist said not to read stuff like this because it is usually negative. Are there any postive people out there? I am still hopeful that I will recover within the year.
Hello. I had this surgery done on March 13th and I still can not walk normal with out being in a lot of pain, stiffness. The surgeon that did the surgery kept pretty much saying its in my head etc. I went to another surgeon and this week I have to go in and have the screws removed, in 3 weeks another surgery to have 4 cysts removed, and possible if I still have all this pain I have to go back in and have a plate put it. One problem is that the one screw is to big and that is causing problems too. I have also been told I have RSD which is reflex sympathetic dystrophy. I was also told about 6 weeks and I will be back to normal after the orginal surgery, well that 6 weeks has turned into over 15 weeks and still not looking to be recovered till end of the year. My new surgeon told me that a lot of people develop RSD after this surgery. Not only was I not told that I was also not told I would never be able to move my big toe again.
I also have to have my left foot done and I told dr. I will wait till I can no longer walk, wont go through that hell again.
I would have your Dr. test you for RSD.
I had an osteotomy/bunionectomy 3 yrs ago. They broke the bone, realigned it, and put a pin, then shaved down the outside of the bunion. My doctor told me in 3 days I'll be "back in stilettos!". WRONG. It was months before I was back in regular shoes and that foot is now thicker than the other one (I only had it done on one foot). I too regretted it for the last 3 yrs. But now I'm starting to realize that my other bunion has pain while the doctored foot does not. Toe flexibility will not come back 100%. I do alot of yoga, so I know, but you should be able to tip toe and bend your toes around on their own. Just do keep exercising it and it should come back a little. Don't expect 100% though. Sorry.
Of course it still hurts; its only been a month! Not to mention your bone cracked more than expected which hurts and its going to take more time to heal. I was in the boot and hobbling around for a few months and my bone did not crack. When you mess with bones and bone alignment, it takes a LONG time to heal. I'd say it took a whole year for mine to completely heal to where I could not think about it anymore. Just be patient for a few more months.
I decided to see if anyone else was having the same problem as I am. Clearly there are many of you. I had my bunionectomy when I was only in eighth grade. It was so severe that there was really no other option. Since then (I am a junior in college now) I have had two follow ups with the surgeon. The first to remove a massive amount of scar tissue. The next to remove the screws and more scar tissue. Yet I still have little to no range of motion. It doesnt bend down at all and barely goes up. Moving it the side causing awful pain. I am an athlete and there are days that I cant tolerate the pain. Any suggestions? I don't want to have another surgery but living with this much pain is crazy. I don't even know if there is another procedure that could help. Any thoughts would be great!
I had bunion surgery 2 years ago everything went fine ! till I notice the toe bending in again, return to the doctor who told me he staplers had bent and would need to reopen, after the operation was fine no pain but notice toe returning up mention this to my doctor but said it will be alright, It's now a years after second op, I can not wear closed shoes as it is painful, and now the sole of my foot is always hurting, so my medical doctor thought it was tendons problem, so now am being fitted for cushion for my shoes which won't help as I can wear shoes, so the other day decided to try taping my toe straight, I was not surprise when the pain disappeared in sole of my foot. have made an appointment with the surgeon for October I am quite interested in what he is going to say maybe a third surgery on it's way, I just need this toe to be straight. has anyone else had this problem forgot to mention I live in France???????????????? so the op was done here
I had bunion surgery about 8 wks ago and everything is going well although I have lost some range of motion in my toe. I'm wearing sneakers and can bare about 90% weight on my foot. I will be having my second foot done at the end of this year. My podiatrist is great and I pray the second foot heals as fast as the first.
I had chevron osteotomy 17 weeks ago, I still have swelling in the ankle and foot especially the toes feel stiff, but that is my foot beinh angry at me for doing PT by doctors instructions. I have pain at the soles of my foot and the outer side of the foot (fifth metatarsal) from walking and standing all day ( cleaning, cooking, laundry, shopping), I do put my foot up on the wall(laying down) for about an hour.
There is nothing to worry about with the pain, your foot is swollen and any weight on it will cause discomfort/pain. You need to let your foot know it is not injured anymore and it doesn't need to be swollen to protect. go by the instructions your doctor gives you and you can always call and ask the PA (physicians assistant) if she/he was there assisting with the surgery.
5 weeks is a bit early to bear weight, I couldn't bear any weight, only heel and crutches until 8 week check up then I could bear weight since my bone was completely healed, that is when I ditched the crutches and got a cane to help keep me stable till i could balance on my own. At 12 weeks I was instructed to do PT at home, toe raises (like your on balls of your foot trying to reach), try to curl toe by grasping a tube sock and try to bunch it up. I use a small ball to try to curl my toes around and roll it under my foot to get a full range flex, this will take time. There are days I can do 50 toe raises and some days only 10 and other days can't do any.
My doctor is amazed that I went by his instructions and I am the type that wants to heal fast.
My doctor recommends New Balance since the toe box is wider and deeper, I got WW928 motion control and put my own arch support in; I have fallen arches, planters fasciitis ( my weight bears more on the heel). New Balance runs 1/2 inch small and the width runs a bit snug.
I normally wear 9M, the shoes I had to get 9.5 2E and my toes are happy they can wiggle.
dont do it! I had a bunionectomy done 3 years ago and have had the same issue and my last surgery was done in nov and he went back in and did a partial joint replacement.. and yet again I have stiffness I cannt bend my toe at all up or down.. and I am in soo much pain everyday.. and the 2nd surgery I had done was removal of scar tissue and the 3rd was removal of the screw and take take out a piece of bone... no avail.. my last resort is to remove the big toe.. I just don't want the pain anymore..
Hi Chris523! I have the same pain. I am 1 yr post op of an Austin Bunionectomy on my right foot with K wire placed. Doc said only reason K Wire would have to come out is if I had issues. I've been having pain in my toe joint and on the ball of my foot for about 6 months. I wanted to wait the full year of recovery to see if it would eventually go away. Range of motion is great in my big toe, but the pain sometimes stops me in my tracks. I feel crunching and popping in my big toe joint and sometimes it feels as if it's popping in and out of the socket. I went back to the doc last week and got another set of xrays. The K wire has popped through the end of the bone head and is sticking into the joint! The crunching and popping I feel is the wire! The pain I feel when I walk and on the ball of my foot is likely due to the pin head as well. So I am having the pin removed this Friday (12/27/13) to see if that relieves the pain. Doc said if not, he may have to evaluate the smaller bones in my foot to ensure there aren't any issues there.
I had the same bunionectomy procedure done on my left foot Dec 2011. Had that pin removed Dec 2012 because it was backing out of the top of the bone and interfering with my shoes/causing pain. I'm thinking now that my feet just don't like the hardware.
I understand your disappointment. I had left foot repaired 18 months ago and right foot repaired 1 year ago. I have never been without pain in 18 months. My post-op was very successful i.e. incisions healed without any infection. Contrast bathes, electric massage, orthodics and new shoes have not helped. Tingling and often severe jabbing pain has become the norm. Dr. has finally lost interest without admitting I should have known I would have nerve damage and continual pain. I feel continual burden on Medicare is futile. Very disappointed and would not recommend the procedure unless walking became impossible.....
I had a bunionectomy back in May. They also shortened my big toe bone and put three screws in the middle rAnge area of my foot where they took cartridge out. I had a bone spur shaved off and my sesamoiditis bones relocated all during one surgery. I'm still in daily pain almost 8 months out. Is this normal? My pain centers on the ball of my foot and in the neck of the back of my big toe. I'm miserable and want my active lifestyle back. I did 10 weeks of OR and muscle massage. I have pretty decent range down and normal up range. The pain is just awful. Suggestions?
I had my bunionectomy in September. It was fine, I had to be off of my feet, no weight bearing, for what seemed like years... probably mid-november until I could walk again with full weight. The pain then was terrible, and it is still going on. I can't move my toe by itself, practically at all, and just sitting down sometimes makes it throb and hurt so badly. I get foot spasms where it sends what feels like a shock through my entire leg, shaking it. I get scared, honestly. I can't wear normal shoes, except for pretty wide boots, and... I don't know what to do. I'm a 19 year-old girl, and I'm afraid I made a mistake with this surgery. I have to get it done on my other foot as well, probably my pinky toes too... I guess I'm just looking for help, some advice. I can't seem to get back to work, because of the pain. I can't stand for long without needing to sit down, and it's incredibly frustrating. I feel like I can't be active, in fear I'll be hurting my foot. Thanks, guys.