Anyone had a bunion op?

[VengefulKitty]

I have already briefly mentioned to my GP that my bunion is giving me jip.

It is huge and my foot is that 'deformed' that to put my feet together clearly shows that my big toes and little toes are the outer edges of a triangle meeting at a point above my middle toes. The right foot is not too bad and doesn't really hurt. However, the bunion on my left foot is constant agony.

My GP has said that if I wish to go ahead, the only solution is to have it operated on and the bone shaved. She said I would be off my feet for about 6 weeks and in a lot of pain. Eeek!

That was all that was discussed as I think she was trying to scare me a little to make sure I really am in pain with it.

It has got to the point where I am in pain every day but agony a few times a month.

I am considering going back to ask about the op but wanted to get advice/other experiences first please?

Forewarned is forearmed and all that...

TIA

hi....i have had major bunion surgery 6 long years ago.

I had a Mitchells osteotomy which i would never ever ever ever recommend to anyone especially from a certain orthopaedic consultant. I think i was a guinea pig. Saying al that ,if the consultant hadnt done such a bad job...i wouldnt have had to have 2 further operations to alleveiate the extreme pain he left me in.
He should have pinned it but either didnt know what to do or just forgot and then put me in plaster.The bone didnt set for 12 months and was classed as non-union so i had to have it pinned and re-aligned
I was on morphine for at least a week and in agony for 2 years. Had to have corrective surgery as it completely changed the dynamics of my foot and gave me more pain than my original bunion.
If you are going to have it done the shaving is probably your best option but it is agonising and takes a while to recover.

VERY GOOD LUCK TO YOU

EEEKKK!

Oh crikey, sorry for what you went though. It sounds absolutely horrific!

I read that with an face and my hand at my mouth.

Now I am worried... maybe I will just suffer it...

Poor you alypaly, thought mine was bad. I had 3 metatarsals fused, an ankle stabilisation, and a mortons neuroma done 18 months ago. Brilliant surgeon for most of it, but one teeny little metatarsal didn't fuse, so here I am in plaster again for 12 weeks.At least pain is manageable.
However VK, it is usually OK with a bunion, I have several friends who have had it done, and are now pleased.
However,feet are a nightmare, because you are so helpless, you can't carry anything as you have to walk with crutches etc. My husband is great, but you do need help. I could not have done it when my kids were small.
Not sure that has been very helpful, sorry!

You might struggle with some NHS consultants - they have the right to refuse to operate. Bone shaving surgery does not correct the problem and is therefore considered unnecessary by some consultants. You need also referal to a podiatrist to look at the mechanics of your foot and whether you need in sole to prevent/slow further progression of the deformity. There is approx 75% satisfaction rate with people who have the surgery and there are other 130 different procedures - it comes down to what the surgeon prefer for the level of deformity they think you have. A friend of mine has had both feet done and is relatively happy with the result. Has no pain but the toe is stiffer. I know quite a few other people who have had the procedure in recent years and they have been very happy. Have a look on here for other peoples experiences and even photosexperience.patient.co.uk/discussion_list.php?d=339

alypaly you poor thing!!!

I had both feet done, two weeks apart, 9 years ago.

Had a local not general so was awake through the ops. The surgeon broke the bones in my feet, shaved the offening bone and some early arthritis off too he said and set them.

Was off my feet for 10 days totally, then hobbling for a few weeks after. Am so glad i had it done though as have had no long term bad effects.

I know bunion pain is bad....the pad underneath my bunion used to swell up and the bunion used to glow bright red.
Does yours do the same?

After i had played sport i used to be in agony for 3-4 days and used to stand on my foot ,with the other ne to try and overcome the pain IYGWIM

Initially i had to have orthotics and now i cant wear certain shoes as the plates in my foot are in the way of the top of the shoe and they dig in.I am only comfortable in flat shoes now as the op has given me premature arthritis( which they dont tell you about) After the second op i am now left with the feeling of a dental injection in my big toe and the next two toes.Its virtually numb.

I had to have a piece of bone taken out of my fibia to correct the foot and believe it or not,the week after that op ,my leg snapped when i was walking (honestly)where he had taken the bone. He had gone too far acroos the bone and only left a tiny piece holding the bone together. This 2nd consultant was just about to go on his hols ,so i was asked to wait for one week with a broken leg before he could put a plate in it. Because the first consultant had altered the postion of the large bone in my foot,it gave me a Moretons neuroma,which is agony,believe me.

So now i have a 3 inch plate in my leg,a plate holding the large bone to my big toe, They have had to shorten my big toe and have put a screw holding the next bone in my second toe up so that the metarsal head doesnt hurt.

Not worth it.
Seriously ,think about it...i have yet to hear a success story. I wish someone had told me before i had mine done. I would reverse it tomorrow if i could.
Now i just put up with the pain and numbness and still play alot of sport but i can never get away from the numb sensation. You have alot of nerves near the area that is shaved and they are easily damaged. Your consultant should warn you about that....mine didnt

oldenglish - thanks for the link. Most seem to be happy but I am now rather worried after reading skyblue's and a few experiences from the link.

Strawberries - until I looked at the link I was at you saying local rather than GA, but it seems to be rather commonplace... I don't know if I'd like to be awake....

I guess I best discuss with GP if it can even be done at all and all the ins and outs, but I am very worried. Especially as it is just me and DS. I worry about getting him to school, food shopping etc...

Maybe best just to suffer the aching pain for a few years more

Oh! you posted while I was taking ages to type alypaly.

My pain is mostly on the side. It feels like it is right inside the joint, but it pokes out so much that it pushes very forcefully on any shoes I wear barring of course flip flops. Underneath doesn't seem too bad.

Yeah, I think I'll just crack on with the painkillers and go with it :S

Friend who had it done has a 5 year old in reception. She was able to walk (quite quickly too ) within a week of surgery to and from school. She wasnt even using the crutches. She did rest as much as possible, and she did not need extra pain killers. Depending on the foot you can drive an automatic car whilst one foot is in plaster. It may be home delivery shopping for a couple of weeks.

i wish id had mine shaved now.

Had to have the joint loosened under GA as it stiffened up totally. They inject saline into the joint and then bend it as far as they dare to loosen the adhesions. That was painful too.

do go and see the podiatrist get orthotics kitty even if you dont have the surgery. They are supposed to slow the deteroriation of the bunion. Generally they do get worse over time, Also you will get really good advice on which shoes will not make the bunions worse. Shoes btw dont cause bunions but they may speed up an predisposition to them. Heel height (eg 1 - 1.5 inch perfect height )/ the shape of the toe box, even where the stitching/ seams are on the shoe. Not all are granny shoes but it is a limitation worth having.

See, I have a DS in reception and we live 1 mile from the school and I have a manual car. Mum has an automatic but she will not swap cars!

This is all early stages for me, I have only mentioned to GP that it is painful but she immediately mentioned shaving but was I sure I wanted to do it.

I have no real information on it hence me asking here. I have never even heard of orthotics and I was an HCA for 6 years working in general surgery, general medicine and geriatric medicine!

To a degree I am glad heel height has been mentioned. My mother completely blames it on the shoes I wore as a teenager. I was rarely out of 3-4in heels. although looking at the shape of the shoes it did always make me wonder...

get a podiatry referal - she/he will talk through options with you. They do not put you under pressue to have surgery. Far from it. But they will get fitted for orthotic insoles if you need them and you will get really good advice.

Those 4 inch heels will have done you no favour but likely you were predisposed to bunions. Does anyone else in your family have them as they run in families often.

Mm is ever so slightly deformed... other than that I don't actually know.

I think I will go to GP and get all the options with the full pros and cons and all info I can find. I am even less decisive now!

Think I need that podiatry/orthotic chat.

I may be back!

thank you all for your help tonight

Mm = mum! Sorry for typos

thank your mum , and good luck. Gp will be helpful but podiatrist better for advice.

Vengeful....the pad under my foot wasnt the painful bit...it was the enlarged boney bunion that glowed . Its just that the pad used to fill with fluid and aggravete things. I wonderful pharmacist recommendd glycerin and icthyammol liquid which i used to put on a thick bandage. That used to help me more than anything

I had a chevron distal osteotomy last January on both feet (shave the bunion, break and pin the toe). It was done under spinal anaesthetic and I got home the same day (the medics were very reluctant).

My feet were bandaged ( I had to go to the hospital every week) with special orthopedic shoes for 6 weeks. I drove after 2 weeks, but I shoulod have left it for 3 TBH.

I was totally off my feet for 2 weeks and DH did everything.

Pain - breakthough pain for 48 hours, despite 75mg Volterol, but it was OK.

After that, Ibuprofen and paracetamol for a week, then just paracetamol for a week.

Paracetamol is GREAT, as long as you take it continuously. It's crap for catch-up pain.

Definitely have it done while you are young, since you heal faster. Also, it may be minor surgery at this stage (distal osteotomy). If you leave it, then you may need a proximal osteotomy or artheroplasty - both of which require a cast.

You'll fine the toe very very stiff for a couple of months after surgery, but the more you walk, the better it will loosen up. My feet both took about 6 months to feel completely back to normal, but the walking during that time (and I walk everywhere) meant that I was back running at 6 months

vengeful...if you are only having it shaved you have not got the problems of bones healing and fusing. All it is doing is reducing the size of the prousion so it doesnt rub as much. If your big toe is angled in,it will do nothing to alter that

Need help please...

Can anyone recommend me a good foot and ankle orthopedic surgeon in London. I fell of the stairs last month, and was misdiagnosed at A&E, only to find out that I had a rare case called Lisfranc ligament fracture. Now I need to decide within a couple of days, which surgeant to go with...

I had a left Mitchell's osteotomy on 11 July under sedation and was sent home same day in POP with special shoe and two walking sticks. I was given three lots of analgesics to control any pain I might have had. I have to say I hardly had any pain. I could hobble up and down in the house on my special shoe designed to stop me putting the weight on the front of my foot, but needed crutches to walk outside with. Last Thursday I went for review. The pop was taken off, the stitches taken out, the foot was inspected and a brand new pop was applied. I was very pleased with the look of my foot, the toe was nich and straight. I then went for an x/ray and saw the consultant. My next appointment is at the end of August when the pop will be removed and the pin holding the joint taken out. My foot was a little sore after the second POP was applied but apart from that I have had only discomfort rather than pain. This depends on how much walking about I do in the house. I have found that it is better to keep my foot elevated when I am sitting for any length of time. It is awkward getting in and out of the bath as the foot has to be kept dry but you can get a prescription from your GP for a seal tight wound infection protector which fits around the foot and ankle when you go in the shower.

As far as pain killer go I am only taking Co-dydramol tablets as and when needed but I took these anyway for a back problem. The discomfort of wearing a pop for to 5 to 6 weeks and a bit of soreness in my foot to me was well worth it and is nothing like the pain I used to suffer (together with the ulcers and blisters) with my bunions. I wore orthotic shoes for 5 years as recommended by one orthopaedic surgeon and they didn't help my feet at all and in fact my bunions have got much worse in that time. I have had my left foot done and will hopefully be back to work at the beginning of September and next year will definitely be going back for the right foot done.

Different hospitals do slightly different procedures. My sister had a bunionectomy and didn't have a pop on her foot just crepe bandages but her toe joint was secured by screws whereas I have had mine secured with a pin. At the end of the day as long as the result is what you want it doesn't matter.

I do feel that doctors sometimes try to put people off having this type of operation by telling them how extremely painful and unsuccessful it is. That has not been my experience at all and neither my sister or her cousin who both had the procedure but in another part of the country have had any problems since the operation.

I have given birth, had a hysterectomy and had tooth ache none all of which have been a damned sight more painful than a bunionectomy.

I know everyone is different but don't let horror stories put you off.