Bunion op - tips for recovery?

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I'm having a bunion op in February. Does anyone have any recovery tips, whether it's things I should buy to help with the pain (splints/shoes/crutches), or how to make sure I'm recovering well (icing foot, elevating foot)?

With the op I'm having, I can walk from day one but only by placing the pressure on my heel in a boot.

Thank you

Hi there i also having the op in Feb as well.
I am doing thr keyhole version.
I have bought crutches from.amazon, a couple of ice packs, a couple of pairs of trousers with wide flary openings..

I will let you know what else..

Feeling very nervous my bunion isn't too bad but it does bother me with several shoes and it's got a little worse last year. If you saw my foot though its barely noticeable and been classed as 'mild'. I hope I don't regret it ....

I had both bunions done about 20 years ago. My top tip is to do exactly what the surgeon tells you to do after surgery. I had very clear instructions to stay off my foot (had one done then another 6 months later) for a few days (used a crutch) and then to only bear weight on my heel until I had the cast removed. When I went in to have my cast removed, both times the nurse and my surgeon said it was clear I'd listened as I'd healed so well.

Obviously i think it depends on the surgery - will you have a pin? Is it keyhole etc?

If you're using a crutch, pads to help your hands might help. I got some from amazon that I think were a dragons den design.

Also, I found the pain post surgery far better than I expected. In fact, my feet hurt more before as my bunions were bloody painful!

*10 years ago

Buy yourself two pairs of (preferably) cheap trainers, one in your normal size and one two sizes bigger. When the swelling and tenderness go down, hand them down to someone else! My pairs went round quite a few fellow sufferers, and I only knew about this because someone who had her new feet some time before passed the info on! Also buy a Limbo for the shower.

Thank you, I am having keyhole surgery.
It's really good to hear you didn't feel too much pain! I hope I will be the same. Are you glad you had it done ?

Bought the trainers, thank you!!!

Yes. So glad! I was in so much pain previously. I didn't realise just how much until my bunions were gone. Shoes were mostly unbearable unless I wore flip flops. Now I can wear any shoe without pain.

Also they were really ugly. People would actually comment on my feet which was weird.

I wouldn't hesitate to have the surgery again if I needed to.

That's really positive, thank you! I am similar, most shoes end up painful. It's very annoying. I will report back after surgery...

My aunt had hers done and she rented a knee scooter thing which she said was far easier to use than the crutches. She got it again when she had the other foot done.

How did you get you get to this stage of having an op? GP then referral? And keyhole? I hear horror stories of being unable to walk for weeks afterwards

I did go to the gp but I told him I had private health so the referral was straight forward. I saw two different surgeons via private health and decided on this one. Both keyhole. I am hoping keyhole will mean slightly less pain and faster recovery! But it was my choice.

I had mine done 10 years ago. I researched private ones that also worked for the nhs. Paid for the private consult, then asked my gp to refer me. Had them done about four months later.
The first month is hard, but I didn’t need painkillers from the second day. I wore Birkenstocks when I came out of the boots.
And my feet don’t hurt, at all. They get tired after a long day but they don’t hurt.
I had keyhole. Very glad I did it.

I had mine done about 5 years ago. I found I was able to walk in my "heel boot" really well from day 1. I used my boot as instructed by my surgeon for about 6 weeks and kept my foot elevated when not using the boot. Definitely no weight bearing on the front of my foot for about 4 weeks post surgery and then gradually weaned myself off using my boot over the next 4 weeks.
No high heels for 6 months post op. I was very, very lucky I had absolutely no pain after surgery although I know some people do suffer quite a bit of pain initially.
Good luck OP, I hope all goes well for you