Recovery Problems After Bunion Surgery

I have had both feet done. I had arthritis in my left foot and a bunion on the right foot. I had a bilateral scarf osteotomy.
It does hurt for the first few days and the pain is intense - make sure they give you PROPER pain killers - I had 30mg of Zapain - codeine phosphate - they knocked me out but they are worth it
Feet are very swollen but the pain is virtually non existent apart from the mornings when the pain killers have worn off during the night.
Cant wait to get these bandages off as they are so bulky and annoying. I want fresh ones.

I am scheduled to have the first of two lapidus bunionectomy surgeries in October. I currently like to backpack and hike and found that my feet were greatly curtailing my ability to do these things as well as to simply walk w/o pain. I hope the surgery goes well and they are actually able to fix it so that I can hike and backpack and run etc. etc. I'm only 25 years old....sure hope they get this right.

I am 6 weeks post lapidus bunionectomy. I have a plate with 7 screws where the bunion was and 2 screws in the 2nd metatarsal where they shortened the toe. I was in a cast for 3 weeks and now a walking boot for 3 weeks. The worst part is it is a slow recovery process. Keeping your foot elevated is very important. I am still icing it at night because it still swells at the end of the day. I cannot put my full weight on it yet due to swelling and a little pain. Pain is not too bad. I took pain pills for the first few days. After the first 2 weeks, it is more just discomfort. Of course, everyone's pain level is different. From what I have been reading, everyone's recovery time is different too. Some are not even in a cast and are walking sooner, some have only 2-3 screws and screws removed. I was told, my screws will stay in place. My doctor also told me the plate and 7 screws should prevent the bunion from growing back. I am very active so the worsts part is trying to be patient and anxious to get back on 2 feet. I wish you luck and let me know how you do.

I had bunion surgery 10 days ago on my right foot and am in a half-cast for four weeks. I was told to rent some crutches and did so but felt unsteady on them and was afraid of falling so I borrowed a walker (one with wheels and brakes) and it's now much easier to get around, hopping on one foot. I didn't experience any pain for the first 24 hours--I was given a local anesthesia during surgery and it apparently took that long to wear off. Then the pain was excrutiating for about 36 hours. During that time, I tied to take Demerol but it was making me throw up. I switched to Tylenol3 and that worked much better for me. I took Tylenol3 for just 3 days and since then have only taken over-the-counter Advil Extra Strength as an inflammatory. I'm not experiencing any pain inside the foot but sometimes I feel like someone is ripping my stitches out--maybe the dressings are stuck to my incision and pull the skin when I move. Also sometimes my cast feels too tight or maybe the dressings underneath the cast are wrapped too tightly around my foot. Generally, I'd say the recovery is uncomfortable rather than painful. I'm seeing my surgeon tomorrow for the first time--this is to ex-ray my foot and ensure that it's healing properly. He told me that the stitches will dissolve on their own so I won't have to have them removed. If all looks well, I will be asked to come back in another 2 weeks to have the cast removed. I haven't put any weight on my foot and my understanding is that I'm not supposed to until the cast comes off. I have been keeping my foot elevated above my heart religiously and am still icing it with a bag of frozen peas, 30 min. on and 30 min. off. I am only up to use the washroom and have been moving from the bed to the couch the last few evenings to eat supper and watch some TV, propping my feet up on pillows there as well. The worst part is not feeling clean. The en suite shower is just a stall--no tub--so there's no way I can stand on one foot without falling for that long. The other shower/tub is upstairs and I don't feel confident using stairs yet--also, the upstairs tub has a sliding glass door--so I can't take a bath and rest my foot up on the edge of the tub. Sponge bathing is losing its charm and my hair feels like an oil slick. My only advice that hasn't already been given is, make sure you have an empty calendar for two months following your surgery! Don't book your surgery if you have a vacation (or anything) planned in the near future, assuming that you'll be ok by then. I only had two appointments booked following surgery (they were booked before the surgery was) and have cancelled both of those. Just make sure you don't have to be anywhere. Take as long off work as you are allowed to because you're going to need it. If you're married, make sure your partner knows that this is a major surgery and that that he/she is going to need to help you ALOT. If they aren't prepared to or if they are unable to, arrange beforehand to have someone come in and help you. My husband makes me breakfast in the morning, leaves me a lunch and then makes me dinner when he gets home from work, is constantly fetching things for me and is taking time off work whenever I need to go back to the doctor. I would not have been able to do this on my own. Take your surgery and your recovery seriously and make sure you REALLY want it before you commit. If you don't intend to stay off your feet for as long as it takes to recover, this surgery is NOT for you!

Oh my god. Im 19, and I had my right foot done yesterday :-( and they have only given me paracetamol and codeine! I am in so much pain its unbelievable, really am regretting having it done now :-(

My doctor in NYC did my bunion surgery where he cut the bone and and put in a screw. He also said he does a plastic surgery closure such that he cut out a big diamond shape of skin to reduce the extra skin around the bump that used to be there. I had very little pain and only took two Vicodins the whole time. He said there's ways to do surgery with less pain. My foot looks and feels great. I had a bad ugly painful bunion and I'm so glad I did the surgery. If you want google him and read the amazing reviews. Dr. Lawrence Silverberg, DPM in NYC

My doctor in NYC did my bunion surgery where he cut the bone and and put in a screw. He also said he does a plastic surgery closure such that he cut out a big diamond shape of skin to reduce the extra skin around the bump that used to be there. I had very little pain and only took two Vicodins the whole time. He said there's ways to do surgery with less pain. My foot looks and feels great. I had a bad ugly painful bunion and I'm so glad I did the surgery. If you want google him and read the amazing reviews. Dr. Lawrence Silverberg, DPM in NYC

I had my left foot operated on when I was 16 (24 years ago).  They broke my toe and put pins in that were never removed.  Maybe it was because of my age (or maybe they did it for everyone) but I stayed in the hospital for a week and before I left they put a plaster cast on.  The cast had didn't have the plastic heel and I didn't have a special boot either. I had to walk with crutches for 6 weeks but I really don't remember it being too bad.

Fast forward 22 years - I get mild aching in my left foot which I'm told is arthritis.  My big toe doesn't bend very well and I don't like anyone touching my foot.  I have flat feet so I had to pay $400 for orthotics to stop my back from aching after standing at work for 5 hours.  At least my bunion never grew back.
Last year I started getting sharp pains from the bunion in my right foot (after buying wider running shoes and using orthotics) so I made an appt with my family doc for a referral.   I got x-rays done and I guess he figured it wasn't that bad because no referral was made.   This year was worse so I went back and insisted on one.   That was 6 months ago and I see the orthopedic surgeon next month. 

My pain isn't as severe as others but it's been getting worse over the last 2 years so now is as good a time as any to get the surgery. And.. I would really like to be able to buy "off the rack" shoes / boots again.  I'm not a dress shoe / heels person - I live in runners - but the pair I'm wearing now are size 8D and cost almost $200.  That's a lot considering I used to pay $50.

Is there anyone else who had surgery a long time ago and has arthritis now?  Or had 1 foot done and waited to have the other done?

Hi, has anyone had a bunion surgery done recently? I am in my 3rd week. One week to go before back to work and am wondering whether I'll be able to give up the crutches. Not sure I could do work with them which would mean staying out longer. Anyone able to give them up after 4 weeks? My surgery was a regular bunion surgery, left foot. Have a walking boot which inflates but right now am still doing a lot of sitting. I'd love to hear anyone else's experience. Thanks in advance.

I just mine done on June 7,I am 23 and I've had them since middle school days. I did my right first, I figured I get the hard one out of the way first. I have bilateral bunions and wa advised that the lapidus procedure would be the best since my feet are severe. I was advised of everything but man I sure kicked myself after the first week back at home. The first three days were the worst. I was given Percocet and Vicodin. I guess the hardest part is getting around. I was in a hard cast for 6 weeks and crutches absolutely no weight bearing on it. I am now in a walking boot that helps me but I still can not put much weight on my foot without the boot. My toe is so
Stiff I feel like I have less mobility but doctor saids it looks good. I can't wait to get this process over so I can begin to enjoy life again. Lol. It's been a bring summer. I will wait about a year before I do the next an last one !! Best of luck. Oh and I was back to work after a month. I went back on crutches and roughed it out. I will be investing in a roll about for my next surgery.

I am 11 weeks post op and it was a little different this time around.  I wore a cast for the first 2 weeks then I had to wear a Darco toe splint and velcro shoe.  The doctor said to walk only on my heel until I felt a little more comfortable putting more weight on the toe.  At 7 weeks I was told that I no longer needed the velcro shoe - start wearing regular shoes. I only needed to wear the toe splint at night since the ligaments would want to pull my toe over even though the bone is healing well.  I went back to work at 5 weeks and as expected the swelling was bad.  Within 2 hours I had to take my runner off and put the velcro shoe back on.  By the end of my shift my feet were so sore and swollen I was more or less walking flat footed, not rolling my foot as I should have.  Last week things started to get better.  I'm walking with less of a limp but by the end of the day it's tender and swollen.  I've read that humidity affects swelling and we've had a hot summer so far so I expect to be swollen for a while.  All in all I'm glad I did it now while I'm relatively young. 

I guess I lucked out because I didn't get the pain after surgery like a lot of people write about - the first week was uncomfortable, not really painful - my foot swelled so much it was pushing on my cast.  Also, I had cramps on the bottom of my foot and because of the cast I couldn't stretch them out.  The worst pain came when they took the staples out at 2 weeks post op.

Penny, I tried to be as independent as I could so I might have slowed down my healing progress because of it.  But only by a bit.  When I did sit down and relax I found I was REALLY stiff when I got up to walk.  Mornings are the worst and I feel it in my body - I was never like that before.  

The one thing I don't agree with my doctor on is physical therapy.  At 7 weeks the top and side of my toe were still numb (they're ok now) and I couldn't bend my toe at all.  His reply was that every day I should grab my toe and pull it up as far as I could then hold.  Then do the same pushing it down.  Uh, no.  Other people recommended putting a towel on the floor and trying to grab it with your toes or wait until you're in the tub and then move your toe up and down.  The heat makes you more flexible.  Those options work better for me.

It's been 12 weeks for me and I still can't bend my toe and it's numb.

yeah, I'm at 15 weeks now and I can barely bend mine - not like I should be able to. The numbness is gone but on humid days I swell right up. The doctor wasn't at all concerned when I last saw him.

Hi, I had my right bunion done 12 weeks ago. Still swells a lot when I'm walking around and have to elevate it a lot. My toe is quite stiff and can barely move it, so consequently when walking am finding it hard going with an unbendable toe so am hoping that doesn't stay like it. Also took a long time for my wound to heal  [ 10 weeks ] so hopefully onwards and upwards from here eh.