2 week post op review

Hi there my surgeon was David redfern at the London foot and ankle clinic at St jon and st Elizabeth in London. He pioneered keyhole bunion surgery. So maybe worth travelling down to London for. A couple if other people on the forum have used him.  

Thanks. It looks like I'm going to have to travel. I've been quoted £5000 for normal surgery. Do you think keyhole is a lot more? If you don't mind me asking?

 

It was about £6000 but that's partly cause the hospital is quite expensive being London.  That's for one bunion not the set! Worth every penny having had the other foot done by an excellent surgeon bit traditionally I can say the recovery is 100%easier 

Hi simbacat, how are you doing? I how is your recovery going?am post opp 6 w went first time without the special shoe bit weird   a bit discomfort that got better as I went on the figure regarding the cost of Surgery you mention? I had mine paid via my insurance but have to pay the difference in cost of mr R s fee and anaesthetist feels they are not (fee assured) their combine fee was £1500 so is the hospital charging the rest? It's seem a bit excessive for a hospital to charge the rest. Wonder how did you arrive at that figure.

Hi lilian I've had quie a hard day, its exactly 4 weeks from my surgery and I had a full day back at work. I run focus groups and  although its not a job that means being on your feet, it requires a lot of concentration and dealing with clients, and it meant going into the heart of London and trying to get home in the rain, nightmare! I couldn't get a cab, tried going down the tube, really scary, i came back up using my sticks as a weapon. Anyway  feel a bit tearful now and can't believe I'm going back to do it again tomorrow. I too have insurance and it paid for all but £650 of my surgery. I had a real battle with them to get them to pay, to begin with they said it wasn't covered as its experimental surgery. So they agreed to pay for the difference between this and traditinal surgry. It took months to sort out.I'm happy to share all the precise details with you but maybe better as a private message, not too sure how to do that.  Time for sleep now, what a day!!!

Hi Simbacat,

Soo very sorry to hear you had such a lousy day yesterday. I can't imagine going on tube in rush hour trying to protect your foot! Could you not stayed off work a bit longer uner the sircumstances ? When I had my other foot done 18 m ago (same procedure as yours) the surgeon said I could go to work 2 weeks post op provided I got taxi there and back . Although I work only 3 days a week it was just he'll !!  It's beyond me now why I didn't get quote justifiably sick not from my GP then? Well I wasn't going to make a same mistake again no matter what, so I had a 6 weeks resting at home which I needed bearing In mind this time was more problematic than last. Tried driving yesterday not too bad  but walking without ugly shoe not so good couldn't wait to get home and put them back on! How sad is that! What footwearare you in? I do hope you had a better day today if you went to work but most people get standard 6-8 weeks of work, procedure might be minimally invasive ,but could really say the pain is! I don't think we can send pm on this forum, bit bottom line is it's jolly expensive and good old insurance do their best to avoid paying sorry to be a bit ofcynic but .

Take care and take some time off until you feel a bit stronger to take all that stuff on again!

Lilian

Ps keep me posted of your progress

 

Hi Lilian, I work for myself so i guess that's a motivation to get back to work to pay those insurance bills. Had another full day on Thursday and just felt done at the end of that, again couldn't find a cab bbut this time managed the tube. Working from home today and so much better, hopefully won't have to go out next week. I would so love to put my foot down properly and not in the boot! Can I ask what it was like after 6 weeks when the boot came off, was it hard to walk? I feel like my toes are permanently pointing upwards now and I will be walking on my heel FOREVER..

Hi simbacat , 

Glad you had a better day and hopefully if you don't have to go in next week will give you some respite and put you ahead a bit are you just 4 weeks this week? Not sure if you had same thing to wear as me but sending the photo of mine to compare when I took my off yesterday I wore soft suede deep loafer type of shoe with thick sole but first few steps were bit painful but I did walk slowly trying not to flex my foot when walking cos that was uncomfortable if I had the booth with me I would have Put it on today I decided comfort or not I have to wean myself of it so walked around the house in my normal slippers gentle flexing the foot  got better the more I walked but was aware not to over do it as it's still quite swollen so not to bad I guess just need time and patience I am going to see a show on Tues and will be taking train to London and using tube so I may take one crutch to use it to protect the foot against bering stepped onto

 Regards Lilian

Hi Simbacat, here's a photo of my shoe that I've been wearing for the past 6 weeks and the latest of my foot.

Oh Lilian you have my bootie and you have my foot, with my scars!

Here is my foot on the tube the first time I found an empty carrage and just draped my leg over the next seat! I was 4 weeks on wednesday, counting every day. Here are the latest pics of my foot, the scars are much reder than yours but you give me  hope!

Hi simbacat,

Your booth/shoe definitely is a newer model than mine! I had to buy mine 8 years ago when I had my bunions shaved first time. Did you have to buy yours too? Should come free really , but what is free nowadays?i think once the shoe is off toes kind of get back to doing what they did before I guess. Your foot looks great poker   straight  in terms of scars you are only 4 weeks so while to go yet! The scars on my other foot are pretty  much gone 18 m down 

Did you have metatarsal and toe bone realigned and pinned ? My have 4 pins two on each bone not sure what is medical terminology for this procedure. Take  care

Lilian 

Hi am still here thay took cast off after 2 week's then put a new one on for 5 week's is this normal lol 

HI Mark! how are you doing, are you managing the boredom. I have good days and bad days, I guess that is how it goes. I thought you just had a big bandange not a cast? My guy took mine off at 2 weeks, but one thing I have learnt is that every surgeon has his own methods and they are all different. did you get a chance to look at it before the new bandage?  how did it look? sorry you have another 5 weeks

Yes it look's ok here is a pic . yeh just my luck to be in cast longer lol . To make things harder my cast came off in the night on sat so a+e sunday  temp cast put on.  then monday back to have a new cast whot a pain lol  . old cast wos funky new cast is camo lol see pic's .but still got a smile .