Bunion Operation

Hi All, well that's me 4 days after my op and I'm doing great. My feet were quite painful for the first few days but nothing too bad and sorted out by some ibuprofen and co-codamol. On one of my feet I had the bunion taken off the side and also some bone off the top so it's that one which was a bit more painful. All good now though. I've got wire stuck out of my big toes instead of screws in them because I'm allergic to nikel, I think that was the way it used to be done. The wire has to to be surgically removed in 4 weeks time. Got another appointment in two weeks which will probably be to change the dressings. No cast on, just bandages. I got shoes from the hospital to enable me to walk on my heals and a pair of crutches which help me get to the loo and back. My parents have stayed with me since the op and I've been really glad to have their help. Not lifted a finger. It would definitely have been a real struggle to keep getting up for things otherwise. It's been great to have my shower seat to have a refreshing shower and my wheely zimmer will come into play when mum and dad leave me to it (if they every do!). My cup with a lid will also be well used. Passing the time watching tv, reading and faffing about on my laptop. Really looking forward to seeing these new feet of mine!

Hi Elaine, good to hear everything went well. I have been thinking of you and wondered how you were going. I'm glad your parents were able to come and help out. The first week or two are definitely the hardest. Yes wire out the end of the toes was the way it was done when I was nursing, perfectly successful op. I think the screws are more popular now as it doesn't mean a second op(saves the health service money!) I just had a bandage, no cast and was also 2 weeks till it was removed as it act as a splint. When you get them off you feel you've passed the first hurdle and for you the wires coming out will be the second. I have 2 more weeks(that will be 6wks in all) then see dr again and think all being well I will get fabric splint off and be able to get back to some normal foot wear, but foot still very swollen particularly at the end off the day so don't think it will be anything too glamorous!! Slippers or ugg boots maybe 😜

Well keep those feet up, the more you can at the beginning the quicker they recover. Good luck

Hi all. I am now 26 days post op. I am amazed at how pain free I am unless I knock either of my feet or stand on them the wrong way. I have taken to showering with the dressings in place then at the end of my shower I remove the dressings and let the warm water go over my feet and then I have been very lightly wiping the scars with a small wipe before drying them and letting them air for 10 mins before replacing the dressings. Both feet still have crusty dried blood on the scars which I had hoped the warm water would be getting rid off but its not moving yet.

I now manage to shuffle around the house without crutches and sometimes with my slippers on instead of the velcro shoes.

What I noticed today when I removed the dressings is that the skin under the dressings is all flaking and peeling and looks just awful. The soles of my feet have got very hard skin on them. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I can use on both the peeling skin and the horrible hard skin. I expect a good foot mousturiser is what is needed but what is best?

Does anyone put antiseptic cream on the scars to moisturise them? I have had no after care advice from my doctor and in fact haven't to even go back to see the surgeon till 3 months. So I am going with what I read here as to after care and getting back to walking and shoe wearing.

Hi Karen , I mentioned in an earlier post that my surgeon told me to get a dressing called DuoDerm and cut strips to apply over the wound and could then get in the shower. That was all the instruction I got and I wasn't seeing him for another 4 wks.

I went onto the DuoDerm web site and worked out from there what to do. The dressing can be left on for 3-5 days and the wound heals underneath. Being impatient I only waited 3 days then removed it. The first time the wound looked awful, like it had gone rotten and all this skin started to come away with the dressing. I managed to peel it off carefully, then nearly rang my Dr office to get him to look at it. I was a nurse and came from the days of wounds being kept clean and dry. However after inspecting it carefully I decided it wasn't infected or anything so cleaned it with salt water and applied another strip for 3 more days. The next time I removed the dressing I couldn't believe how much it had healed, more dead skin came away and one end of the wound was now a nice clean pink scar. I applied another strip which I removed yesterday and now only have about 1cm of wound that isn't totally healed(I'm now 33 days post op). So now I'm a total convert to moist wound healing. Apparently because there is no dry scab pulling on the new skin it heals quicker and leaves less scarring, it also speeds up the removal of dead skin. I would recommend this stuff to anyone.

I live in Australia,(originally from the U.K, emigrated here 30yrs ago)but have a sister in Scotland. When I told her about it she said it sounded like the same stuff she had been told to put on a skin condition she had on her leg so pretty sure you'll get it in U.K by the same name.

As far as other hard and peeling skin I have been using an exfoliant to remove flakey skin and a pumice stone. I then moisturise with organic coconut oil, which you should be able to get from any good health food store.

Hope everyone is recovering well I had cast off and stitches out yesterday 16 days post op it was more painful than the op and has been so sore since as the pin in my big toe (which will be removed in 4 weeks) had started to in bed in my foot so they had to pull it out slightly which now rubs every time I walk which I've been able to do without no pain since op, very happy with foot tho as straight as doc told me it would be.

Hi everyone,

I've been reading all your posts with interest as I'm due to have the op on my right bunion two weeks tomorrow. But there's a spanner in the works as I've had a second job interview today. I'm currently freelance and work from home so the recovery wouldn't be a probably unless my circumstances change. Obviously I don't know if I'm going to get the job but I was just wondering how long people were off work post-op. I don't really want to postpone the surgery as I've had bunions since my early teens and I'm now 30 so feel that I've waited long enough but equally I don't want to jeopardise any job prospects.

Hi Karen that duo derm stuff sounds just like the strips I had to pull off each day and replace. It was a bit sure but it took some scab off each time and got to the new pink skin underneath sooner. My surgeon said this is a plastic surgery technique.

My feet went dry and hard and flakey - they were horrible! But what will happen is they will shed all the old skin - you will not believe it! So find the most richest moisturiser you can get. Body Shop hemp foot butter is very good, also you can get intense foot moisturiser that you put on and them wear socks after as its so rich you need to let it soak in. Gradually my feet have turned amazingly soft - they are beautiful and I can't believe it. So keep moisturising :-)

Hi annab1982 I've had a 7 week sick note only on week 3 of it as this takes me up to having the cast off my foot 4, week 2 I had stitches out wk 4 I have 2 pins out my second and third toe and week 6 I have cast and pin out of big toe with 5 days left of sick note so I hoping as I do a stand up job I can get shoes on in this time.

Hi all. Hi Annab1982. I was given an 8 week line from the hospital on the day of my operation. I am now on week 4. I didn't need to have any stitches removed as seemingly the way the it was done was internal stitches so I am not sure how the wound was sealed outside. I will see the doctor the day because I a. Due back at work for him to see the wounds and decide if I am fit to return. So see doc on 9th Sept for work 10th.

Fabulousfeet I went to chemist today but they didn't have any of the dressings suggested so I just had to get more of plain dressings I have had on since the start. I have been steeping my feet in a footbath of warm water and then redressing. I also bought a good foot moisturiser today. The horrible crusty bits are still there and I guess I am was just expecting too much too quickly. Patience was never my best attribute. ....lol

Today I got my husband to drive me to the town before he went to work and I met my daughter for lunch but the slow shuffle in the velcro shoes and one stick was hard work from the bus back to the house. Guess after onky 4 weeks I am not quite ready for trips out on my own.

Hey!

I am 17, and I was born with a foot problem which have later devoloped into a bunion and the beginning of hammer toe. I was just at x-ray, so a specialist can dicide if I am going though with the operation, but I am worried that they will say no as some doctors have been uncertain if they should operat on my foot since I am still young. What are my chances of getting a operation? Because I really want to do it as soon as possible, as I am tired of not being able to enjoy things like my friends can do and I am tired of being in pain if I walk for more than 15 min. Also my circumstances is good for doing an operation now, as I am attending boarding school which means I rarely need to get anywhere which is more than 5 min away.

Hi all. I am now 5.5 weeks post op and the wounds are eventually starting to get rid of the crusty bits. I have been moisturising the rest of my feet every day after their soak and they are starting to look better. I have been letting the wounds air for a while before putting on clean dressings. Still finding it sore to walk and am still doing the ungainly shuffle. So glad I can't see myself....lol. My left toe isn't bad but right one is painful. There is no way it would go into a shoe yet :-(

Fabulousfeet I tried to click onto your link for exercises but it wouldn't open for me. I don't know what I should be doing exercise wise and I worry toes are getting stiff so any advice would be fab.

Hope everyone is healing up well.

Hi Karen glad to hear you are now healing well and I think definitely over the worst.

I saw my surgeon last week, had X-rays and he's happy with everything. Out of Velcro sandal and back to normal footwear but as foot is still swollen none of my shoes fit so had to buy a couple of pairs a size larger! wasn't given any exersises to do just to massage wound daily with moisturizer to help release scar tissue under skin and normal walking which, will help loosen big toe(which feels like a lump of wood at times!!) No need to see him again re that foot but have arranged to get next foot done on 14th Nov which will mean I'll be at same point of recovery as now, for Christmas. Will be doing Xmas shopping online !!

Frimag if your foot is causing you that much pain and interfering with normal activities then that is definitely a reason to get foot done. I live in Australia and my surgeon said he will do young people but likes them to be 18 so foot has stopped growing. I grew up in u.k and couldn't get op when I was in my 20's, I put up with my feet all my life and only am now getting them sorted at 59yrs !! I wish I had been able to have the op when I was young. Emphasize to docs that you are in pain, good luck ☺

Yes I say don't wait and live with the pain, if you can get it fixed then why not do it now. The other week at my surgeons office there was a mid-teen girl who had had both feet done two weeks beforehand.

Karen there's something wrong with the video link but I will take photos and describe the exercises and put it all on the blog. I'll pop you an email too. It's really important to do the simple exercises to get your range of motion back to normal but don't worry about starting them for another week and then get stuck in. Now at three months I love doing mine as it loosens everything up and feels really nice.

Are your hands nice and soft from all the moisturising?!

I had bunions since about the age of 13 (not the best genes plus ballet - not a great combination apparently) and by the time I was 20 they were really painful and really restricted my lifestyle. Forget ballet, I struggled to go for a walk without pain! So I had both feet done when I was 21. It's now been 8 years. It wasn't a breeze but it was so worth it!

There wasn't a lot of pain after the op as the painkillers sorted that out. The doc put some kind of orthopaedic hard-sole sandally sort of things on me to give support and made me walk without crutches or anything pretty much the day after the op - apparently to keep the joints mobile and to stop too much scar tissue growing within the joints. At first I thought he was crazy, but it wasn't actually that difficult, and after a few months of physio I pretty much had full range of mobility in both feet! OK maybe the left foot wasn't as good as the right, but still good enough to dance Although only in soft shoes from now on, not in pointes. BTW I dont recommend that everyone should start walking the day after their bunion op! Please always follow your doctors recommendations!

Anyway, my only complication was that my left foot got an infection, but a course of antibiotics fixed that pretty quickly.

So my verdict would be "don't wait, if it's noticeably affecting your lifestyle and you can get it done, get it done".

Oh, forgot to ask this in my previous post; have anyone returned to work/school with maximum 2 to 3 weeks off? Because that is absolutely the maximum time I will have before I will have to return to school. So if it is not doable, I might have to wait until I am finish with uni in a couple of years.