Recovery from bunion surgery

[BunionRecovery]

I am having surgery in a few weeks for my bunions. Typical osteotomy and pinning type. One to start with, other side to follow hopefully. I am early 50s, weight appropriate, physically fit (I run and cycle regularly) and otherwise healthy.

I know no one can say for certain, but if anyone has had bunion surgery, how mobile were you by the 5 week point? My feet are not massively deformed, but the surgeon has strongly advised to do it now, as the recovery should be quicker than if I leave it to my 70s, and will give me another couple of decades of active life, barring other health problems.

The 5 week point is relevent, but I don't want to derail my own thread with the backstory!

Thank you!

Out of interest why the pinning? My sister had her bunions pinned (on the NHS) about 10years ago now, had no end of problems with them, including follow up surgery and ended up going privately to get the fixed. The private consultant told her that pinning was massively outdated and there were much better surgical alternatives out there. After the private corrective surgery my sister was up and back to working a physical job within 4 weeks having spent the previous six months since her first surgery in huge amounts of pain and unable to walk

It was a much longer recovery than surgeon led me to believe - at 5 weeks I would have been able to walk short distances but it was still pretty painful to be on my feet for any length of time. At about the 6 week mark I remember going to some big event and was in agony having to walk half a mile in one go. I was pretty young (about 30yo) and in excellent health

I said pinning because that was how the surgeon described it, but the surgery looks like it is actually screws and staples/wires. I am going private.

Yes that is the same surgery my sister had and I (personally) would be questioning why that method as it is outdated now

@BunionRecovery I had surgery on my ankle so not the same but similarish recovery time expected . Surgery start of year, pretty immobile , felt sicky ( apixaban) did my physio and extra recovered to a degree in five weeks.
Surgery last week same op other leg, this time adverse reaction to anesthetic ( I did previously but this was worse) , allergic to my tags & blood pressure cuff gave me hives. Not meant to be on it for two weeks ( crutches , tho I'm not using them) change to an airboot I'm already so much more mobile but the apixaban is making me feel seasick &,fizzy I'm on that for 45 days .
So in my opinion there are so many variables to that it's hard to say if you would be recovered in five weeks

I had it as a fit 24 year old.
Surgeon said I would be off work for 3 months! I went back after 2 weeks, office based role.
Couldn't drive for 6 weeks but a colleague gave me a lift in and home.
I dont remember it being terribly painful but that could be the passage of time making me forget.
I was also supposed to have the right foot done soon after however, once I had 1 done the pain and inflammation in the right cleared right up and I never needed to.
Best thing I ever did!

I had both mine done at the same time privately at your age with your procedure, also weight/fitness pretty good. From memory 2 weeks off my feet pretty much completely, two weeks hobbling, then could walk after that but not far. Definitely couldn’t fit into anything other than very wide shoes/sandals at that stage.

In the long run it was transformational and I should have had it done earlier.

Interesting thread OP. I would love to have mine done, partly to give me a wider choice of shoes, as this is very restricted at the moment, but also because my balance when doing yoga etc is quite affected. My bare feet are very unattractive and I keep them hidden as much as possible.

However. I have to be honest and say they don't cause me pain. And I hear about people left in pain after the op and wonder if I'd be crazy to open up that possibility.

Watching with interest.

Oh my god...sorry OP but by week 5 I was still in excruciating pain throwing up in bed unable to even put my leg down for more than an hour. It took me 3 months to be able to walk with any semblance of normalcy and i still have pain 15 years later. I know that's not helpful 🥲

And just to add to this for the pps sake, my foot is still fat and I'm still unable to wear a wide range of shoes. Trainers or flats with a LOT of cushion only. Also I get neuropathic pain that feels like i have bubbles traveling down the side of my foot.

It isn't that simple. There are multiple variants of osteotomy using screws/staples/pins. The most appropriate one depends in part on the severity of the bunion. In discussion with the surgeon, he feels that the one he is recommending has the best long term outcomes and lowest recurrence rates for my particular problems.

@Ensconcedinvelvet that sounds horrendous! Not what I want to hear. 😱

More importantly for you, it sounds like the surgery went badly wrong. Which is not what anyone wants!

My surgeon is convinced I will only need a couple of days pain relief and be back at my desk the following week. Back running by 4 months, based on his previous outcomes.

This is one of the reasons I won't have mine done. I have seen first hand how surgery isn't necessarily a solution so I won't be having it until it causes me a significant degree of pain

A colleague of mine has had both her feet done, one in September and the other in October. Obviously I don't know the full details but each time she was off work for a few days, then back at work with a crutch and cleared to drive within I think 2 weeks. It sounds very similar to what your surgeon suggests, OP.

I was still on crutches at 5 weeks, 6 weeks in total, but it took another six weeks to get fully back to normal. It all felt a lot longer and harder than I imagined.

Who is your surgeon?

I have a dorsal bunion and saw a super podiatrist surgeon.

I think 12 weeks is when I would expect to be back at work and after 4 I'd expect
To be data round at home with my foot up and walking about the house but not driving or over exerting.

Depends what happens in 5 weeks you are worried about

I've had both feet done. The surgeon put in a lot of anaesthetic once op was done which wore off after a couple of days. Barely needed a painkiller after that and only had the occasional twinge. Hope it goes smoothly for you.

I had the left one done when in my late 30s when the bunion on that foot became painful and would have just got worse. I was told to expect a six week recovery period with little or no walking but I was able to walk short distances with an orthopaedic shoe and a crutch after two weeks and was pretty much back to normal by the end of four weeks and could return the crutch to the hospital. I only took painkillers for a week.

Resurrecting this thread in case anyone else ever looks for outcomes of bunion surgery.

I had the op in January. Was discharged within 3 hours, bandages and crutches with an orthopaedic shoe. I only needed pain relief for about 4 days, then reduced to antiinflammatories only for a few more days. I was able to switch to one crutch only after about 10 days. Bandages off after 2.5 weeks and started driving again at the same time. Ortho shoe stayed on until 7 weeks. I was then able to start cycling and walking in soft trainers. I have had a couple of physio sessions, but was running again 12 weeks to the day after the op. I still have a little stiffness and it is going to take a while for the residual swelling to fully settle.

I didn't take the trip I was hoping to do at the 5 weeks point, but that was more to do with an elderly parent not being able to do without me that week than my own mobility.

I am very happy with how it looks and feels. The scar is disappearing rapidly and I am back in normal shoes. Other foot will be done next winter, as I am completely uneven at this point, with one lovely straight toe and one ugly wonky one!

I realise this was a few months ago but wondering how your foot has healed now and also curious to know who did your surgery? I’ve just started to do a bit of research about the surgery and yours sound brilliant!

Really interested in this thread as I am booked in to have both my bunions done in Feb. Equally excited, as it’s a long time comin, and anxious. I am really heartened to read your experience .

By five weeks I was walking pretty well. I think I was in normal shoes again by then too. But I was a dancer and, even though I was walking reasonably soon, it was six months until I was able to dance again.

Both at the same time? Yikes. I couldn't have managed with that. Thankfully I only had one problem foot so it wasn't a decision I had to make.