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15 weeks post-op bunion surgery lots of pain swelling

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Redstone69
Redstone69

I'm 15 weeks post-op bunion surgery...surgeon put 2 non-removeable pins in my big toe and a smaller one in my second toe...still have alot of pain and swelling especially when I wake up...still feels like I'm walking on a marble on the ball of my foot and feel the surgery didn't go right...anybody have similiar experience and/or surgery revision?

0 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • mags90153
    mags90153 Redstone69

    Posted

    Hi, i had exact same experience about 18 months ago, i have now just undergone 2nd correction surgery on same foot. 

    1st op i had constant swelling and tenderness after bunionectomy, i had 2 non removable pins in big toe. After 6 months still could not wear a shoe for a whole day, few hours if i was lucky. Exact same felt as though i was walking on stones inside my feet. Constant pain at doctors every 3/4 weeks, eventually had enough and went back to surgeon. 

    He agreed a 2nd op was neccessary, cheveron osteotomy lapidus and second toe correction. (my 2nd toe was fine b4 1st op but because of the way i was altering my walking after 1st op ended up with hammertoe). The non removable pins were removed and screws and a plate inserted and pins in toes 1 & 2 that have to be removed in a few days.

    I would give it another few weeks and if it doesnt settle contact your surgeon and explain, or bring it up at your next follow up.

    I hope it settles down for you and also hope you dont have to go through what i have. Good luck and keep me updated.

    • Redstone69
      Redstone69 mags90153

      Posted

      Hi Mags,

      wow, sorry to hear how it's going for you...OUCH! I can only imagine how you feel.  It's been a brutal ordeal for me already.  The surgeon seems to be blaming ME every time I see him..."this never happens to anyone else."  Think I'm going to strangle him the next time I see him and say "I've never done this to anyone else."  I'll keep you posted and I sincerly hope you're feeling better soon.

      best regards

  • Mishe55
    Mishe55 Redstone69

    Posted

    This sounds pretty horrible Redstone.  There is no way that you could have done any damage unless you starterd walking with full weight bearing before you were allowed to do so.  I am 7 weeks post removing the bunion and fusing my big toe with three pins as well as fore foot reconstrucion (that simply means breaking and resetting three bones to make them shorter).  I am more or less weight bearing but still in a post op shoe as I have to have completely stiff sole and anyway my foot would not fit in a normal shoe yet.  However,  the feelig of walking on rocks is almost gone and now replaced with mild pain in the area where the joint was fused.  My foot is perfectly normal in the morning and the swelling only comes as I start walking.

    My second toe is a little up and this is due to breaking and shortening the bone in my mid foot.  It was expalined to me that the bones were shortened to allieviate pressure on the toe joints but the ligaments will stay the same.  That means that  since the bone is shoreter and the ligament is the same it does not pull the toe into position,  It is normal and with time the ligament should shorten itself (it did in my other fooot with the smae surgery).  Howerver,  if the surgeon did cut ligaments while operating on your big toe this may have different and more serious consequences but none of this is your fault.  So dont let him bully you. 

    All the best

    • Redstone69
      Redstone69 Mishe55

      Posted

      Hi Mishe,

      thanks for your feedback.  I'm glad you're progressing well.  I had pretty much the same surgery as you.  I assumed my foot would be in the same condition as yours at the same relative stage.  I put absolutely no weight on my foot for over 7 weeks.   I followed the surgeons directives explicitly.  I feel like the guy wasn't totally honest with me and I asked MANY questions prior to having the surgery.

      My foot looks horrible (very discolored) and I can only walk on it an hour or so a day.  I'm a serious ex-athlete and I still swim pretty much every day because it's the about only thing I can do. I do ride my three wheeled trike very slowly and for a very short distance with a metal plate in the sole to take some of the pressure off my foot.   Even the swimming hurts my foot eventhough I don't kick and only drag my legs in the water.

      I go back to the surgeon early next week and already have some appts with other possible drs to do the inevitable "revision."  I had major knee surgery about a year ago and eventhough there is still some pain in my knee, it's nothing like the swelling and pain in my foot.

      I will keep you posted with my progress (lack of?)....good luck to you and thanks for the kind thoughts.

    • Mishe55
      Mishe55 Redstone69

      Posted

      I do think that perhaps you should consider a second opinion at some stage as it really does not seem right to be in that much pain for that long.  I have been walking for at least 4 hours today and my foot is sore but not sore enough to even consider pain killers (and this is only week 7 for me).

      Things can be fixed if they need to but a suregon with a fragile ego may not want to admit to difficulties so a second opinion my help.

      All the best Redstone,  I very much hope that there is a simple solution for you and that your foot settles soon.

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