Posted , 31 users are following.
Hi this may seem like a duplication of my original question. Has anyone who has had bunion surgery had elevated toes (as well as swelling). I had my surgery five weeks ago and the foot is still swollen. I expected that. However, my big toe and two of the others are elevated. Could this be problamatic or is it just part of the healing process?
3 likes, 39 replies
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Emay5 Tricie
Posted
An update to my very long post about my situation where my big toe is completely elevated about a half inch off the ground after a failed bunionectomy.
I'm seeing other doctors getting second opinions.
A Podiatrist's Input:
The podiatrist didn't see anything obvious that was causing the elevation and malalignment of my big toe. She recommended surgery to realign the toe using a pin to keep it in place for 8 weeks then the pin would be removed.
An Orthopedist's input:
The orthopedist immediately saw the problem. The toe joint cartilage has been permanently damaged from the bunion surgery because one side of the staple from the osteotomy was stapled into my toe joint. They showed me how the space in the joint has narrowed significantly and the bones are nearly touching each other now, limiting how much I can bend my toe and preventing my toe from reaching the ground. They also explained that arthritis will now begin to form in that toe as a result of the damaged cartilage, so my condition will only get worse. Their recommendation - what they said is the only long-term solution and "gold standard" for fixing this type of issue - is toe fusion.
I was figure skating and taking lessons when the COVID closures opened the opportunity to address a long-overdue painful bunion. I want to get back on the ice, which involves high heeled boots and lots of time and pressure on my toes. So, toe fusion and pinning the toe won't work for me.
I'm continuing my research on alternative solutions, and I plan to see at least two more professionals on this matter.
I'll keep you posted.
Gemi0223 Tricie
Posted
I had bunion and hammer toe surgery on June 21st 2021 now my toes are not only at a angel but my 3rd toe overlaps my 4th toe and my pinky toe is tucking under my 4th toe. its causing discomfort. I've tried a couple of different toe separators but when I remove them my toes go back to same position. I mentioned it to my doctor and he shrugged it off. Has anyone else had this issue? I'm okay with them leaning to the left but overlapping I'm not.
chrissy85228 Tricie
Posted
Hi Tricie, I had double bunion and hammertoe surgery (4 hammertoes total) eight weeks ago and while the bunion site is recovering and big toe seems stiff but okay, I am still struggling with the hammertoes, which seem to drift to various positions on their own. My surgeon recommended daily individually taping each of the four hammertoes into the correct position using 1/2 inch surgical tape and leaving the tape in place at least overnight or longer. They showed me how to tape the toe lengthwise from the start of the toe at the bottom to the top over the toenail, then down to the end of the back of the toe. Then use another piece of tape to loop around at the base of the front of the toe and crisscross on the bottom of my foot. It really helps quite a bit and each day I could see my toes are getting more and more straightened. I tried a number of the gel-like toe separators and a few other devices but the tape works the best for me. Unfortunately I am still experiencing swelling in the hammertoes but my surgeon said this should be expected through several more months. I also started physio and that has helped stretch out the tendons and get some mobility. Good luck and I hope you find some relief.
ryan89451 Tricie
Posted
I had a couple different procedures done than most people in this forum it seems (cheilectomy and weil osteotomy) but I thought it would be relevant to comment because I am 3 months post op and have a lot of inflammation in the ball of my foot. All of my toes were floating in the air when I put my foot down at one point. They have just started to settle down towards the floor except for my second toe - thats floating. But the inflammation is very uncomfortable - feels like I'm walking a a literal ball every time I take a step. I would say the padding on my foot is at least double the size of what it used to be. The doctors and PT seem stumped by it and tell me they usually don't see that much inflammation underneath the foot but want me to keep walking on it, massaging it, and going to PT, etc... Each day is a challenge, but hoping it will continue to improve.