Anyone had second toe fusion ?

Yes i had a 2nd toe fusion  on 8th feb also had what is called a metatarsal osteotomy . after the op i was in a heal wedge shoe and could walk about  quite well  after the first 2 weeks, i had the pin removed on 18th march   and  was told need to wear the shoe for a further 3 weeks which  officially is on wed next  week but i have actually managed to get a soft leather shoe on just to see how it feels and suprisingly it feels absolutly fine, although still  looks a bit swollen. i have no pain now at all.  My toe is nice and straight now which is  nice to see,  and i am hoping to  drive my car over the weekend and go back to work next weds. so that will be  almost 9 weeks. i must admit it has been a longer recovery than i thought but really am so pleased with the outcome so far. Fortunatly we live in a bungalow so need to walk the stairs but having said that i have visited family and managed to get up the stairs very well in my  special shoe, i wouldnt attempt it without thou until told to do so.

I believe that the operation  can be done several ways and some surgeons prefer to do a fixed pin. but mine was coming through the end of my toe which sounds alarming but really its not too bad at all.  The toe does feel strange like very stiff but thats to be expected so i am told . i dont seem to be having a problem walking in a normal shoe/slipper at the moment but have  only done it for a few hrs at a time. as for the flip flops i am yet to try that and  really am hoping that i will be able to wear them as i love them for my holidays. when it does come to the time you have or if you have the fusion just make sure you get plenty of rest with foot elevated for first few weeks and gradually do more each day. i feel so sorry for  you that you have had this extra mishap . make that a learning curve next time  not to over do things. in answer to your question about the shoes to wear i would reccommend  wide fit ones and yes  the shoe i  got on was the one i wore before my op, they are flat loafer style (that i wear for work as a HCA)  it does feel a bit strange not being able to bend the  toe but  its not really affecting my walking. I am still waiting for another appointment to go back  for xrays, they are  also going to xray my other foot too as i have a lump develop on the side of it  and i had surgery on my 2nd toe  on that foot too 3 years ago  as it was dislocated. but unfortunatly that wasnt successful by all accounts as its very bent now which is  what i assume a hammer toe.  so looks like this one will have to be fused at some point but apart from it  looking ugly its not painful so will wait and see, the main issue with that is its uncomfortable when i wear  closed in shoes as the toe bends under.

I wish you good luck with your surgery whatever you decide. keep us posted.

sorry for  the indepth reply . 

Regards

Jan.

I think things are improving. I can go upstairs OK. I did find coming downstairs tricky and was coming down the stairs one step at a time. I was told by my physio that this is quite common as the toes are not very flexible for a while and to go downstairs normally we need to bend the toes. I have an added complication as I have arthritus in one knee so that is an added problem. I have managed to come down a few stairs normally so hopefully I will be better in a few days. I have some toe curling exercises to do so hopefully they will help.

I would not worry about second toe fusion as I am not having any problems and I have walked over half a mile today.

Hope things improve for you and I am happy to answer any questions if I can.

Hope things work out for you and please contact me if I can help in any way.

Hiya swampiesue

I too very stupidly had my second toe and third and forth fused along with a bunion correction4 years ago.It was an awful job and the surgeon kept telling me it will look better after swelling goes down .i wish I never done it. I hate not being able to bend it. The 3rd and and 4th are fuse and the tip due to hammer toe n atleast I can bend it but it looks so ugly and the shortened one and the 3rd one goes out wards.I wish I was recommended these implants that I can now see is a possibility .but I was told under the NHS at the homerton it's not cosmetic I do understand that but it don't mean you just butcher me! And not consider that it should look straight and nice too.they fused it bent with the pins so it healed bend of course.i was not offered any physio nor was I told I can remove the wire they put in my big toe and screws on top as it is now causing me arthritis.

i have been to a private dr because every time I put my feet down my big toe clicks and there is fluid build up. now and he is saying I had such a bad job done and it looks horrible he has to re do my bunions and the bent toe fusions 2nd 3rd but he will not touch the forth even tho it looks like it's goin outwards X-ray show it straight? But everything will mean shortening my big toe,2nd toe and 3rd. I was horrified and so depressed from it because it will look worse. And so different from left.

He said to me that if I get my left foot done both will look similiar and that if I had gone to him first but he is correcting someone else's work. But honestly I have no plans of ever doing left after my bad experience I was referred by nhs and I did not know I was going to have surgeons that will do such a bad job.

I had it booked next week but I just had a pre op and very rushed consultation with the surgeon who is not really interested in what I want but rather that he can't make it 100% but it will look better than it does but the bunion correction still will give me some movement but not fully even after his correction.

So is it all worth doing again? If anyone has anyone else had same experiences pls let me know I would love to hear your thoughts.

I had hammertoe surgery on my second toe, the one next to my big toe and years later it just went limp so my other foot doctor recommended toe fusion so it would stop dragging downward. In 2002 I got the fusion and I wish I had not. For many years after it seemed great and it looked great, but that was 15 years ago. Now, I am getting older and notice that it hurts badly at times, like arthritic pain or something and it feels stiff now. I mean really stiff, I cannot curl it at all. 

For me personally, I would not choose this surgery again on any other toe. Also, it is bending downward again anyway....like what I like to call a dead toe. It does look good though and especially in sandals, it is pretty and straight but the pain that comes and goes from the toe being limited in its mobility is not worth it.